Tea, Latte, Coffee or Spice?
by signbear
Summary: Multi-chaptered one shots of various pairings in love live! Ratings are shown at the top of each chapter! Ranging from being teased endlessly, to being attacked by a bird, to a random encounter in the school cafe, to swapping of bodies with unhealthy results! [EliUmi, KotoUmi, UmiMaki, EliMaki, NicoMaki, NozoEli, HonoKoto, RinMaki, RinPana and more]
1. Chapter 1

_A/N_: Each chapter would consist of different pairings although certain pairings may be repeated! I'll put the rating and pairing at the top of each chapter for convenience sake. Each chapter is a separate entity in itself and I'll be accepting pairings as well. If there are no requests, I'll just go by whatever I feel like writing at the moment.

* * *

><p>Chapter: <em>Add a little pinch of spice<em>

Pairing: Eli X Umi

Rating: T

* * *

><p>"Hey~ Umiiii~"<p>

"Yes?"

"Umiiii~" the same voice whined again.

"…What is it?"

"Umiiii~"

The blue haired girl sighed and turned to the voice, "What is it that you want, Eli?"

"You finally turned around…" the blonde said, a playful grin on her face.

"…So, what is it?" the bluenete now focused her attention on her senior. For some reason, Eli was lounging about in the Student Council room. Kotori and Honoka had already left, and since Umi had just finished her Kyudo club practice, she thought she should come by the Council room to do some work. After all, she was the Student Council Vice-President now. Even if she had other clubs to attend to, it did not give her the right to skip out on her duties.

"…Eli, why are you here anyway?" Umi probed curiously, already giving up on the documents she was going to read. She didn't understand why the pony tailed girl was still in school this late.

"Why can't I be here?" Eli returned the question, still smiling. To be frank, the only reason why she was here was because she wanted to see the bluenete. But of course, the pony tailed girl wouldn't tell her junior that. She wanted to use every opportunity she had to tease her favourite junior.

The blonde was now making herself comfortable as she rested her head side-ward on her right arm that she just propped up and stared at the amber eyed girl.

"…It's not that you can't be here…but where's Nozomi? Aren't you always with her?"

"Oh? Are you insinuating that I'm a bother to you?"

"N-No! That's not what I meant!" Umi immediately said, her cheeks reddening. She hadn't meant to sound so…rude or unwelcoming.

In fact, she actually enjoyed her senior's presence. Not that she'd ever admit it to the still smirking blonde. Eli's presence was often calming and soothing, much like Kotori's – but in a different way that she couldn't really explain, and very much unlike the hyperactive Honoka.

She felt that the older girl was really dependable and kind. She'd often offered her services to the Student Council as well. Perhaps that was why she was here? Warmth filled the blue haired girl at that thought. But she didn't understand why Eli would stay till so late just to help her out. It didn't seem logical.

"What I meant was– "

It was then she shifted her eyes a little and it accidentally met with Eli's azure orbs. Her whole body froze as her felt herself drawn and enraptured by the deep and clear colour of Eli's eyes. Her own words dried up in her throat and rebuttal forgotten, Umi found herself mesmerized and lost in the depths of the oceanic eyes – everything around her seemed to fade, and only Eli remained.

Eli, on the other hand was equally lost in the sharp amber eyes that were boring into her. She couldn't help but feel that Umi's eyes were really pretty and distinctive, and if she could, she wanted to stare at them forever.

The silence hanging in the air was palpable as the two members of Muse continued to stare at each other, holding each other's gazes.

"What…was it that you wanted to say…?" Eli breathed out, her voice a little coarse as she finally broke the spell, looking away first with a slight blush.

"I-I…" Umi muttered as she too looked away, embarrassed. _Eli's expression just now was…cute. Really cute. _"I-I m-mean…I…n-nothing…" Umi finally gave up on giving a coherent answer. How could she when her heart was now hammering against her chest ten times faster and she suddenly found herself wondering what the lips of the beautiful blonde in front of her would taste like?

"Hm? Then what did you mean? That you'd rather be alone than be with me?" Eli attempted to continue her teasing as she pretended to pout.

"N-N-No! That's not it! I like it when you're here!" Umi burst out, her cheeks rapidly flaming. A second later, she realised what she'd said and immediately paled. "N-No wait, that wasn't what…I meant to say either…I mean…I-I…It's not that I dislike you! It's just that I–" The blue haired girl finally groaned in frustration, unable to put what she actually wanted to say into words. She then buried her face into her hands, utterly embarrassed and red faced. Why was she always a blundering mess in front of her senior?

"…cute…" a soft murmur. _Really cute. How could she be so adorable when she's flustered?_

"H-Huh…?" Umi finally dared to look up and saw that Eli was now blushing and staring at her.

"Adorably…cute…" Eli muttered again.

"W-Wha–" Before Umi could comprehend what was happening, the older girl had already pounced onto her and she found herself smothered by a huge hug.

"E-E-E-Eli?!" Umi gasped as her body temperature started to rise. _W-What is Eli doing?! _

"Ah~ You're just too adorable~" Eli continued, her face still flushed. "It's a sin to be so cute when you're embarrassed! I can't help but want to hug the lights out of you!"

"E-E-Eli…!" the poor bluenete's eyes were swirling and she was overcome with dizziness from the unusual and uncharacteristic show of affection from the older girl.

The ex-Student Council President still hasn't let go of the current Student Council Vice-President yet.

"E…Eli…?" Umi tried to say but Eli had refused to let the second-year go. Her heart was racing, beating erratically as blood rushed up against her cheeks. By then, the bluenete's face was so red that it would put a tomato to shame. She could feel her breaths getting heavier at the feel of Eli's warm body against her. To make things worse, she was painfully aware of the older girl's full bosom pushing onto her own (mediocre) chest and the faint scent of honey lemon from the older girl wafted into her nose. At that thought, her blush intensified, turning 20 shades darker.

"E-Eli…?" Umi croaked out. As much as she would love to stay in this position and as much as she enjoyed feeling the blonde against her, she feared for her own health. Because, at the rate things are happening, she would sooner faint from overheating.

Eli finally – thank the heavens – removed herself from the blue haired girl.

Hesitantly, the blue haired girl observed the older girl's face. Eli was still a little flushed but was now staring at her.

Feeling a little self conscious, Umi's eyes darted away as yet another set of blush adorned her smooth features.

_Dear lord. How can Umi be so cute and adorable when she's embarrassed and blushing? _Eli thought as she bit her inner lips, trying to restrain herself from squealing out loud. Every small moment that Umi had made made Eli felt like shooting herself with a diabetic pill. Umi's high level of adorableness was like an arrow through her heart.

A faint memory of Umi performing her "Love Arrow Shoot" crossed Eli's mind briefly and the pony tailed girl had to fight down an impending blush.

Umi hesitated before looking at Eli again.

The staring contest ensued.

Unconsciously, both of them had started to move towards each other slowly, holding each other's gazes intently. The air around them changed as they brought their faces closer and closer to each other, their breaths heavy.

_What am I doing? _Umi thought vaguely in a muddled state of mind. _I can't seem to control my movements…ah…we're moving closer and closer to each other…Eli's lips…is closer to me now…_

And before she could comprehend anything, something soft pressed against her lips. Immediately, a warm sensation settled in the pit of the bluenete's stomach. Her head started to reel as Eli continued to move her lips against hers and her whole body was filled with a mysterious warmth. Noting that the older girl's lips tasted like honey, Umi could only fall prey and succumb to the sensual feeling of Eli's lips on hers. Without thinking, she made the move to deepen the kiss just as Eli ran her hands down her blue locks. Her breaths became laboured as she struggled to contain the growing feelings inside her but with each contact their lips made with each other, something akin to hunger and thirst within Umi started to rumble.

_More...I want more...more..._ Umi's mind was starting to become hazy as she shivered. Her hands had unconsciously crept up against Eli's back and she started to rub the older girl's back rhythmically as she allowed her tongue to mingle in Eli's mouth.

Pressing herself harder the bluenete, Eli couldn't help but moan slightly at the feel of Umi's tongue rubbing against hers. Her body became feverish as pleasure assaulted her entire being. She never knew kissing someone would be so...arousing and pleasurable.

Minutes later, both girls broke off, gasping heavily. Neither knew what to say as their head continued to reel at the overwhelming sensation that crashed over them. Eli tried to catch her breath while Umi's head was spinning, and was on the verge of fainting.

"Umi...I..." Eli, being the older of the two, tried to break the uncomfortable silence that had fallen.

_Come on, you can do this, Eli. _Taking a deep breath, the third year senior said, "Sonoda Umi, I'm in love with you."

And Umi, who could not handle the overloaded emotional happiness upon hearing Eli's confession, had promptly fainted.

* * *

><p>AN: hahahha sorry Umi XD In my mind, I imagined Eli to be the playful and teasing type. And poor Umi is her victim. (I don't think she minds it too much though LOL) and given Umi's reaction when she watches a couple kiss in a film, I thought it'd be prudent if I let Umi faint here. (laughs)


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N:_ I really have no idea what the boundaries for a T rating is, so...I apologise if the first three quarters of the first part is too...offending to some. (I couldn't help myself. My fingers moved on its own. Please don't kill me.)

* * *

><p>Chapter: <em>I just got pecked by a bird, that's all <em>

Pairing: Kotori X Umi

Rating: T…bordering on M (coughs) (for the three quarters of the first part) (you can choose to skip that.)

* * *

><p>"M-Mmm–! K-Kotori..ahh…s-stop…d-don't…" Umi tried to stifle the moan that was trying to escape from her throat.<p>

Her breaths heavy, the blue haired girl could only continue to gasp as her lover continued to assault her exposed neck and back with bites and kisses.

Her whole body was burning hotly, her mind in a state of disorder and she felt as if she was on fire. Her knees felt weak and she tried to grasp onto the nondescript white wall of Kotori's room to support herself.

"Umi…chan…" Kotori murmured against the creamy skin as she continued to press her lips against the soft texture. Her hands snaked towards the bluenete's stomach, hugging her tightly from the back as she continued to leave traces of herself onto the older girl's back.

_Oh lord…Kotori's lips feel so good…_Umi groaned as she felt a slick and wet sensation trailing down her neck.

Kotori, on the other hand, couldn't stop herself as she helped herself to a large serving of Umi's kissable skin. She had felt a sudden wave of possessiveness and had pinned the older girl against the wall of her bedroom before turning her around and attacked her, and in the process, had effectively removed any clothing that was in her way.

At first, Umi tried to protest about how they shouldn't do this all the time but after several kisses, the blue haired girl had succumbed to the temptation of her lover's lips and by now, Kotori already had Umi moaning her name.

"K..Kotori..haah…Kotori…" Umi let out another low moan as the taupe haired girl slide her smooth hands upwards, against the hot and burning skin before reaching her destination where the two soft mounts were.

Still leaning against the back of the bluenete, Kotori began her ministrations against the soft mounts. It wasn't a secret that Kotori loved anything that was soft and fluffy – the full softness that were wrapped around her palms were no exception.

Umi was already a sobbing wreck as she tried to swallow back her moans as pleasure assaulted her being. Yet another loud and guttural moan rose from within her as her body tensed up and the archer finally reached her release.

"...Mou! Kotori!" Umi looked really embarrassed after her breathing has calmed down a little. Not that she hated what Kotori had done to her – she just disliked the feeling of embarrassment afterwards.

"Hehehe, You're just too irresistible, Umi-chan~" Kotori said happily as she continued to lean onto Umi's back, still hugging the rapidly blushing girl.

"It's really embarrassing when you keep…" Umi's voice faltered as yet another large blush rise up to her cheeks.

"Aw, Umi-chan, Umi-chan, Umi-chan~!" Kotori rubbed her face against the bluenete's burning cheeks to show her endless and boundless affections for her lover. "You're just too cute!"

"W-Wha– "

"Umi-chan…I love you." Kotori murmured affectionately against the blue haired girl's ears, her hold on the other girl tightened.

"I-I…love you too, Kotori…" Umi muttered softly, her words filled with utmost devotion and sincerity.

The two fell into a comfortable silence, with neither wanting to move from their positions.

Truth to be told, Umi was glad for Kotori's presence in her life. Despite Kotori's insistence that Umi was the cute one, the blue haired girl had firmly believed that her lover was the cute and adorable one, and on many occasions, the taupe haired girl had used it to her advantage to gain whatever she wanted.

Case in point, when Kotori had wanted to convince her to write the lyrics to their first song, she had grasped the fabric of her uniform where her heart was and had begged her with teary and watery eyes with a _"Umi-chan, onegai!"_. Umi had almost died there and then as the younger girl's voice pierced through her heart of steel.

She was also glad that her idol-mates were rather understanding with regards to her relationship with the taupe haired girl, especially Honoka, since she was Kotori and her childhood friend and they've been with each other for the longest time. The fact that Kotori and her are in a relationship also meant that the time the three of them spent together was getting infrequent as well.

Her seniors, especially Nozomi, had also used any chance she had to tease them more. She didn't understand why the purple haired girl did so – and she imagined that the mother-like figure of Muse only did that to amuse herself, or for her own self-serving pleasure. And it seemed that gradually, her lover had also taken some tips from the purple haired girl, which always resulted in her blushing madly in utter embarrassment and wishing that she could bury herself into a hole.

If only they knew what they'd been doing when they were alone. At that thought, the blue haired girl froze and paled as a sudden realisation hit her.

Her neck and back were full of…Kotori's marks.

She has Gym class tomorrow.

Under normal circumstances, she would be able to hide her marks on her neck with some foundation and make-up – or use a scarf since it was winter, and the marks on her back could be hidden by her uniform and school blazer.

However, she'd forgotten that she has Gym class tomorrow – and they were supposed to start a new module on swimming.

Closing her eyes, the blue haired girl had fervently hoped that she was mistaken – that she had remembered wrongly but unfortunately, she knew that she was just deluding herself.

Sensing that her lover had suddenly stiffened, Kotori asked worriedly, "What's wrong, Umi-chan?"

"Hey…Kotori…do you remember that we have swimming lessons tomorrow for Gym…?"

The only answer Kotori gave was a wide-eyed and jaw dropping look of horror.

* * *

><p>"…I should have said I was sick and skipped out…" Umi groaned in vexed frustration as she felt stares and whispers surrounding her. How could she be so careless as to forget that they had swimming lessons today? And to think that she'd allowed Kotori do all…that…to her… The bluenete shuddered as memories of yesterday fleeted through her mind and she struggled to maintain her composure.<p>

She now stood at the female changing room, where everyone was changing into their school swimsuit.

Kotori, as usual was beside her, changing as well while Honoka had already changed and was also now staring at Umi's back in…awe?

"S-Stop staring!" the bluenete hissed at her childhood friend, her face red from embarrassment and humiliation.

"…Umi-chan…I never knew you were so–" Honoka's playful words were cut off by a hand smacking onto her mouth.

"Continue your sentence and I'll slice you into half," Umi glared murderously at the ginger haired girl.

Honoka gulped in fear as she quietened down.

"I…I'm sorry…Umi-chan…" Kotori finally said, as she looked down in guilt, her face downcast.

"I'll never be able to get married anymore…" Umi covered her face with her hand with a sigh.

"Don't worry! I'll marry you!" Kotori immediately asserted as she brightened up at that thought.

"K-Ko-Kotori!" Red faced, Umi could only blush further at her lover's look of adoration.

"Uwah…you're so bold, Kotori-chan!" Honoka said as she gave her childhood friend a thumb up in approval.

"…Sonoda-san…" a voice called out from behind.

"Y-Yes?" Umi stuttered, turning around and saw that her female classmate was looking a little…embarrassed as she scratched her cheek shyly.

"Did someone…" the girl flushed, "do that to you…? I mean–I never knew Sonoda-san had a boyfriend! It's just that…I didn't expect you to…"

Oh God.

More whispers could be heard.

"Oh man, whoever that guy is, he had hit a jackpot!"

"Sonoda's a great catch! Lucky guy!"

"But did you see those marks on her back? Those hickies…I've never pegged Sonoda to be such an adventurous person!"

"Must be great to have someone you love so dearly…"

"I-It-It's not like that!" Umi immediately refuted, blushing madly. Thank goodness no one, except her idol-mates, knew that she was together with Kotori. "I-I don't have a boyfriend!" she continued to yell. That was true. Kotori was her lover and her girlfriend, not _boy_friend.

"I-I was just…I just got pecked by a bird that's all!" Her mind swirling, that was the only lie Umi could come up with at the moment. Beside her, she could feel Honoka snickering, the pun or irony not lost on her while Kotori looked dumbfounded at Umi's impromptu reasoning.

"Shut it." Umi glared at the other girl again and Honoka immediately shut up, evidently valuing her life more.

"…Pecked by a bird?" her classmate that was standing in front of her finally spoke. "…what did you do to anger the bird? It left so many marks on you! Doesn't it hurt?"

"…I-I…I accidentally…provoked the bird and it got scared and started to attack me…leaving all those bruises and marks…" Umi fumbled for an explanation, her head still spinning from the blatant lie. She had almost expected her classmates to call out on her for her lie but to her huge surprise, everyone seemed convinced, save for the ginger haired girl who was trying to hold back her laughter, no doubt thinking about the underlying euphemism of how Umi had _provoked_ the _bird_ that had led it to _attack _her. She didn't know Kotori had it in her to be so…vicious. Honoka slammed a hand onto her mouth to prevent her laughter from bursting out.

Well, you learn something new every day. And today, she learnt something new about her two childhood friends. Honoka made a mental note to tell this to Nozomi later. She'd definitely be interested in this.

Kotori meanwhile didn't know what or how she should feel being…reduced to a bird. Given that her name actually meant a bird, that didn't give Umi the right to spout out nonsense about birds attacking her. Seriously, who'd believe that?! But upon seeing Umi's flustered and scarlet face, Kotori's heart softened as it started to melt at the adorable (for the lack of any better word) expression her lover was sporting now.

"Poor Umi-chan, she was really upset and felt really guilty for provoking the…bird," Kotori chimed in, making the lie sound more believable.

"Is that so… Poor Sonoda-san..." Umi's classmate shot her a sympathetic look, "Take care of yourself and be careful next time, Sonoda-san!"

"I-I will…T-Thanks…" the bluenete muttered, shifting her eyes uneasily, although glad that her classmates were naive enough to believe the incredulous lie.

Eventually, one by one, their classmates left the changing room, not before apologising to her for their rude remarks and wishing her well.

Only the three childhood friends are left in the changing room.

"I'd best get going then…See you two later!" Honoka waved before she too, left the room.

When the ginger haired girl left, the smile on Kotori's face immediately faded.

"K-Kotori…listen, I didn't mean to–" Umi hastily tried to appease the other girl. However, she was interrupted with a deep kiss.

"Umi-chan…do you really want to know how vicious…birds can get when they _attack _their prey?" Kotori cooed in an unusually deep voice as she brushed her thumb across the blue head's reddening cheeks.

Umi could only gulped at the hidden threat as her mind started to become blank at the dark and glazed look Kotori was giving her.

Before she could say anything, Kotori smiled – a smile of triumph – before she headed out of the changing room.

"You'd better hurry up, Umi-chan. Lessons are about to start."

* * *

><p>AN: (coughs) Anyway, requested pairings are uploaded/written based on first come first serve basis. Unless someone requested two or more pairings at the same time and didn't say which one he or she prefers, I'll just choose whichever one I feel like doing first :)

I'm sorry, I'll try to write something that looks like it has a plot next time...

Next Chapter would be either be a EliMaki or a UmiMaki one XD


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: I forgot to thank all those who've reviewed/favourited/followed this fanfic! Thank you guys! :) Oh yea, I've gone back to the first two chapters to revise any grammatical errors. If there are still any (either I didn't spot them or that I don't know it was a mistake), feel free to tell me either via pm or through the reviews section! Thanks~

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 3<strong>

Chapter: _A shot of espresso_

Pairing: Umi X Maki

Rating: T

AU: In which Maki is a student in the science faculty studying medicine while Umi is in the arts faculty studying literature. (College/University AU)

* * *

><p>Nishikino Maki yawned, her eyes tearing a little as she slumped onto the sofa of the school café. She was extremely exhausted and didn't think she'd be able to survive the day if this kept up. She hadn't had any sleep since the day before as she had two reports to finish in addition to having to study for her semester exams. She closed her eyes, trying to get her much needed rest before ordering her usual espresso - the only type of coffee that was able to keep her awake for several hours.<p>

The familiar yet constant buzzing of students in the café and the frequent ringing of the counter bell had slowly faded from the red head's mind as she slowly drifted off.

"...Excuse me..." Just as she was about to fall asleep, a sudden yet soft voice cut her off from dreamland. Irritated, Maki's eyes fluttered open and glared at the person in front of her.

The girl in front of her had a relatively long and silky midnight blue hair that cascaded gracefully down her back. She was wearing a long cream coloured turtle neck shirt and a navy blue overdress, paired with a simple mahogany belt. If not for the fact that she was irritated and extremely tired, Maki would have thought that the blue haired girl was pretty.

"What is it?" She asked coldly, letting her irritation show.

The blue haired student, Maki noted with faint interest, didn't seemed offended by Maki's rudeness and continued to stare at her with those clear golden eyes of hers.

"Is it alright with you if I take a sit here? There are no other seats available elsewhere, and you seem to be alone." The bluenete asked politely. And Maki, noted, once again, that the way the girl was speaking was extremely formal.

She also noticed that the blue haired girl in front of her was holding onto a huge mug of what seemed like a tea latte. She glanced at the girl - who seemed older than her - and shrugged.

"Sure, go ahead."

"Thank you," the girl offered a smile as she sat gracefully down on the sofa in front of her, taking a sip of her latte before setting it down on the round table.

Silence ensued and Maki, finally deciding that she should purchase her coffee now before her break ends, left her chair with an inaudible sigh.

As she proceeded to the counter, a familiar looking face grinned at the red head.

"Double shot of espresso for you, Maki-chan?"

The medical student nodded grimly.

"Another day without sleep?" The waitress at the counter continued as she turned around and started preparing Maki's usual order.

"Yeah..."

"That so? You know, Maki-chan, it's ironic that you, a medical student studying to be a doctor, are not valuing her own health now." The waitress cum cashier continued as she poured the coffee into a mug.

"...I don't need you to tell me that." The red head snorted.

"Well, don't say I didn't warn you. Please take good care of your health, Maki-chan." She paused before turning around and placing her order on the counter. "I assumed that you're having a large sized coffee though."

Maki shrugged, "It's fine. It's what I always order anyway."

"By the way, since when do you know Umi-chan?"

"Umi...chan...?" The red head looked confused.

"The blue haired girl you're sitting with." The other girl elaborated.

"No, I don't." Maki said. _So her name is Umi huh? _"She just asked me if there was anyone sitting there since there weren't any seats left. And I said no... Wait, you know her?"

"Of course I do! Don't forget I'm a student here too. I just work here on my day offs. Besides, she's my childhood friend."

"Childhood friend?" Maki echoed. _Since when? _

"Yep. We grew up together and went to the same high school too! She was really shy back then. But it seems like she'd overcome her shyness since she's able to talk to strangers without any issues."

"I see..." Maki muttered absentmindedly as she passed her money to the girl in front of her.

"Have a great day, Maki-chan! Fight-o dayo!" The waitress accepted the money and dropped it in the cashier as she grinned at the red haired girl, pumping her fists into the air cheerfully.

"See you around, Honoka!" Maki returned a rare smile as she grabbed her order and returned to her seat.

"You're back." The blue haired girl– apparently her name was Umi, stated when Maki returned to her sofa seat. "I thought you had left."

Maki shook her head, "I was just ordering my coffee. I won't be able to survive the rest of the day without this."

"I see..." The bluenete nodded and returned to the book she was reading.

After hearing that Umi was Honoka's childhood friend and that the bluenete was shy back then, Maki had started to wonder what the blue haired beauty was really like when she was in high school.

As she sipped her coffee, Maki couldn't help but to stare at the girl in front of her. Upon closer inspection, the other girl has a regal feel about her, and given the polite way she had spoken to her just now, Maki could deduce that she was probably raised in a traditional family.

_Her eyelashes are pretty long too..._

At that thought, a slight blush coloured her face. It was then a pair of golden orbs stared into her lavender eyes.

She immediately looked away, blushing brightly and feeling really embarrassed at being caught staring at the girl in front of her.

Why was she so interested in her? She didn't understand what was wrong with her. Neither did she know why her heart was suddenly racing and her whole body was starting to feel warm. Perhaps she wasn't feeling well due to the lack of sleep?

"Are you alright? You seemed to be a little red in the face." She was snapped out of her thoughts by the girl sitting in front of her.

"I-I'm fine," Maki stuttered, "I-I just lacked sleep– that's all."

"If you say so…" Umi looked a little worried but didn't probe further as she returned to her book once again.

For some reason, Maki felt a little disappointed when Umi went back to her book. She couldn't understand why though, but she felt compelled to talk to the bluenete in front of her. She wanted to know more about this mysterious student who seemed to pop out of nowhere.

"…You're Umi right?" Maki finally said, as she swallowed her fear. What if the other girl thought she was nuts? Or even worse, a stalker for knowing her name? What if the blue haired girl didn't even want to talk to her and only asked about her well-being out of politeness? What if –

"Yes…I'm Sonoda Umi. How did you know?" Umi eyed her suspiciously.

"I-I…I m-mean…Honoka told me so…" Dear lord, someone shoot her now. She couldn't even talk to the bluenete without stammering.

"Honoka…?" Umi repeated before sighing, "That girl…how could she just tell a stranger my name…"

"H-Hey! I'm not just a stranger!" Maki immediately shot back.

"Ah– right. I'm sorry–" Umi paused, unsure of how to address the red haired girl.

"Maki. Nishikino Maki." Maki stated.

"I'm sorry, Nishikino-san. I didn't mean to offend you. But how did you know Honoka?"

"W-We always bump into each other I guess. And…she works here too. Well…she was the one who came to me at the beginning, talking about gibberish like wanting to be friends with me…but…" Maki's eyes softened before continuing, "She was persistent, I'll give you that. But…ultimately, we became friends. Especially since I often come to the university's café and Honoka always seemed to be working whenever I came."

"I see…" By now, Umi's face was stretched into a warm smile, causing the red head to blush a little again. _Why am I– _

"That sounds a lot like Honoka," Umi chuckled.

"Y-Yeah…" Maki murmured.

It was then the dreaded bell rang, causing Maki to jump at the sound.

"I'm sorry, but I have to go now." Umi said apologetically as she finished her latte before standing up.

"Ah, it's okay. I have lectures now too." Maki made a face at the thought of the slew of afternoon lectures she'll be having.

Umi laughed at the look on Maki's face and the red head's heart almost stopped at the melodic laughter that floated into her ears. _Her laughter is really beautiful too. Wait– What am I thinking?!_

"I guess I'll see you around?" Umi offered a genuine smile.

"Yeah…I'll see you around." Maki returned the smile.

It was the first time Maki had smiled to a complete stranger she'd just met.

And it was the first time Maki had genuinely smiled twice, in the same hour.

* * *

><p>Sonoda Umi was lost in thought as she headed for her next venue.<p>

_That red haired girl…Nishikino Maki…She's quite cute._ Umi thought to herself and unconsciously, a smile tugged at the ends of her mouth.

_The way she stuttered and how she always looked embarrassed is pretty adorable. I haven't seen her around before – maybe she's a first year? Or perhaps she's from other faculties? I wonder which. Her scarlet hair is also striking – if I'd seen her around, I would have recognised her immediately. But why didn't Honoka mention her before? I wonder if she's alright. She looked a little pale just now. Although she seemed to be taking a short nap before I interrupted her. Maybe I shouldn't have interrupted her…? She seemed angry and irritated at being woken up. Not that I had a choice though. Although she did look really adorable when she's asleep…_

_W-Wait…what am I thinking? _Umi blushed furiously as she shook her head violently, trying to shake off those thoughts. _Goodness. I just met her today. Why am I so…_

"Umi-chan~" a voice, thank the heavens, interrupted her thoughts.

"Honoka…?" Umi turned around in surprise. Why was she here? Wasn't she still working?

"Umi-chan! It seems like you've met Maki-chan right?" Honoka bounced towards her happily.

"Y-Yeah…The red haired girl right?"

"Un! She's really cute right?" Honoka was now walking beside her childhood friend.

"C-Cute…?" Umi's mind started to spin in circles. _That was indeed what I was thinking of just now…_

"Yep! She'd often blush and be embarrassed about simple things – much like you in the past. But ever since we became friends, she's more open with me now."

"I see…" Umi muttered. The way Honoka had talked about Maki so animatedly caused an unpleasant and uneasy tug at the edge of the bluenete's heart. She wondered why.

"Well, I wanted to introduce you two to each other but it seemed like you two met by coincidence first. That must be fate!"

"Yeah…" Umi murmured, still feeling the uneasy feeling stirring at the pit of her stomach.

"Hm? What's wrong, Umi-chan? You look a little down."

Before Umi could answer, a sudden figure crashed into the bluenete, causing the literature student to land onto the ground with a loud thud as her head hit the floor. Her books were strewn across the floor, scattered messily and the blue haired girl winced at the sting of pain that shot through her head.

The figure that crashed into her wasn't faring any better as she yelped in pain, rubbing her forehead to ease some of her pain.

"Ah –I'm really sorry! I'm so sorry! I didn't think I would – I mean, I couldn't stop myself in time. I'm so _so_ sorry!"

Umi groaned as she sat up, rubbing her throbbing head. She tried to make out the voice that was repeatedly apologising to her but her world had started to split into threes and fours. Blinking rapidly, Umi wondered if she had a concussion.

"Umi-chan! Umi-chan!" Vaguely, Umi could hear Honoka's worried voice.

_Ah…that must've meant that Honoka's safe. Thank goodness. _

"I'm really sorry!" The same apologetic voice again.

Umi wanted to assure the poor girl that she was fine but when she tried to get the words out of her mouth, her head started to throb harder and she hissed in pain. It was then a sharp and biting pain pierced through her head and the world around her faded away.

* * *

><p>When she opened her eyes again, her vision was filled with white.<p>

"Where…am I?" Her mind was still a little fuzzy.

"Umi-chan! You're awake!"

"Honoka…? What happened…?" Umi pressed a hand against her temple. The last thing she remembered was…someone crashing into her. Had she fainted?

"A girl who was dashing down the hallways accidentally crashed into you. The nurse said that you probably hit your head and fainted because of the concussion you have."

"I…see…" Umi grimaced. "How's that girl?"

"That girl…Hoshizora-san said that she's fine and helped me carried you to the infirmary before heading to her own class." The ginger haired girl explained. "Apparently she was going to be late for her class since her teacher is really strict on punctuality. She tried to apologise even after you've fainted…"

"I see…Well, it's not like I won't forgive her. So long as she doesn't…run down the hallways at such a speed again." Umi grimaced. "My head still hurts a little…"

"Don't worry. The nurse gave you permission to stay here until you feel better. She had already informed your teacher. But I have to leave now. I can't afford to miss my lectures again. Who knows what the lecturer would do to me if I skip her lecture again…" Honoka shuddered at the thought. "I'll see you after school then! Bye, Umi-chan!"

"I'll see you later then." Umi offered a smile. After Honoka left, the blue haired girl immediately fell back onto the bed again.

She was about to drift off when a familiar voice caught her attention.

"No space? What do you mean by that?"

_That voice…don't tell me it's–_

Umi immediately sat up turned to the direction of the voice.

"As you can see, the infirmary only has of a few beds…and it's unfortunate that they are all occupied now. I'm really sorry, Nishikino-san." The nurse apologised sincerely.

"Ah…it can't be help then. I'll just go to the–" before Maki could finish speaking, her knees buckled.

Alarmed, Umi immediately jumped off from her bed and rushed towards the red head's side.

"Nishikino-san! Are you alright?!"

"S-Sonoda-san. What are you doing here? You should still be resting. Leave Nishikino-san to me." The Nurse immediately said.

"B-but…" Umi tried to protest. To begin with, why was she so anxious about the red head anyway?

"This is bad…There aren't any beds left in the infirmary. I feel sorry for Nishikino-san…" The nurse muttered under her breath, sighing.

"S-She can use my bed!" Umi blurted out without thinking. The nurse looked at the blue haired girl in surprise as the literature student blushed slightly. "I…I mean…I feel fine now…so…"

The nurse scowled and said grimly, "I know you meant well but you really should be lying down and resting now. I can't afford to compromise a student's wellbeing for the sake of another."

"But–"

"I…I'm fine…" a hoarse voice interrupted her. "I'm…fine…I'm just a little tired. That's all. I'll just find a place in the library or something to sleep it off…" the red haired girl said weakly. "Ugh…this is Honoka's fault. I bet she forgot to put in an extra shot of caffeine into my espresso…"

The nurse sighed. _Those two silly kids…_

"I can't let you do that either, Nishikino-san…" The nurse pondered for a while before an idea popped into her head. "Say, Nishikino-san and Sonoda-san…you two are acquaintances right?"

"Y-You could say that…" Umi muttered. _Are we? Even though we just met today…_

"Why don't you two share the bed?" The nurse said happily, clasping her hands together, as if her answer was the best solution out there. "I mean, both of you know each other, and the bed is huge enough for two occupants too. There's no problem right?"

Umi was aghast, her whole body frozen as her mind started to swirl. No problem? How could she sleep in a bed with the adorable red head? She'd sooner combust from all the heat that was burning her entire being. She doubted she'd be able to sleep a wink. But then again, to have a chance to be close to Maki…and moreover, sleeping next to her… Umi's thoughts immediately drifted off to the wrong direction and she flushed furiously. _That's not the time to think about it now. _

"…sure…" Maki said in a soft voice, her face tinted with a red hue.

_Did she just –_

By now, Umi's face was probably as red as Maki's hair. _She accepted. She accepted. She accepted. She doesn't mind sleeping with– I mean, next to me…_

"Then problem solved!" The nurse looked strangely cheerful as she clasped her hands together again, as if she'd won a lottery. _Ah~ Those two kids are just too adorable. Hopefully it'll go well between the two of them... _"Now that that's settled, Sonoda-san, can you help Nishikino-san to the bed? And once you two feel better, go back to your class okay? And remember, no _naughty_ business behind my back!"

Both students blushed intensely at the nurse's words.

"O-Of course we won't do t-that!" Umi immediately shot back, extremely red faced. How could the school nurse, of all people, suggest such a shameless thing?!

Maki seemed to have the same thought as her face turned beet red as she sputtered, "T-T-There's no way w-we would do that!"

"That's great to hear!" The nurse didn't seem to notice, or chose to ignore the obvious blushes on both girls' faces.

"Ah- Nishikino-san, let me help you up." Umi immediately said as she grasped onto the red head's arms gently.

"T-Thanks..." Maki murmured, shifting her eyes away from the golden orbs that were staring at her.

Just as Maki tried to stand up again, a wave of dizziness washed over her and her legs gave way again as she gasped.

"Nishikino-san!" Umi caught her and biting her lips, the blue haired then made a decision.

Without caring or ignoring Maki's blatant protests, Umi carried the blushing red haired girl, bridal style, and walked towards the infirmary bed that she was occupying just a few minutes ago.

Utterly embarassed, Maki could only bury her face into the the crook of the bluenete's neck as she felt the stares of other occupants in the infirmary.

Umi proceeded to place the red haired girl onto the bed gently before climbing onto the bed herself, beating down an impending blush.

An awkward silence ensued and Maki, unable to stand the silence any longer finally said, "T-Thank you, Sonoda-san."

"I-It's fine...Nishikino-san," Umi breathed out as she flipped to her right side, only to find a pair of lavender orbs in her face. This time, she couldn't help the blush on her face.

_She really does have beautiful eyes..._ Umi unconsciously thought, captivated by the deep and calming feel it seemed to exude.

"Maki. C-Call me Maki." Maki flushed brightly at the intense look Umi was giving her.

Surprised yet delighted, the bluenete nodded before saying quietly, "Y-You can call me...Umi too, M-Maki..."

"A-Alright...U-U...Umi..." The red head breathed out.

That earned a megawatt smile from the literature student and Maki could only blush again at the blinding smile that was rewarded to her.

"Have a good rest then, Maki."

"Y-Yeah, you too. Good night- I mean it's not night time now but- um, have a good rest too, Umi!"

Umi only chuckled at the adorable expression on Maki's face as she closed her eyes, her last thought before she fell asleep was how cute Maki was.

* * *

><p><em>An hour later<em>

"Ohya? What do we have here...?" a certain ginger haired girl smirked at the sight of her two friends sleeping on the same bed. Maki was holding into Umi, her arms wrapped around the bluenete's waist as her face leaned against the blue haired girl's chest.

Grinning to herself, Honoka took her cell phone out and snapped several photos of the sight before her.

"Looks like I have nothing to worry about." The girl smiled as she quietly left the infirmary.

_Good luck, Umi-chan, Maki-chan._

* * *

><p>AN: It's my first time writing a UmiMaki fic...and what you have read is the result of my first attempt. Hope it isn't too bad though.


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N:_ To be honest, I didn't expect UmiMaki or EliMaki to be requested (lol). Although I'm sailing in the KotoUmi ship, I can't help but fantasise about Eli with Maki (hence the birth of my other fic).

And it seems like I forgot to add this: I don't own Love Live! If I did, there would be more KotoUmi moments ;P

Oh yea, on another note, when requesting for pairings, those whose name comes first would take on the "dominant" or the "lead" role (most of the time). For instance, if the ship is _KotoUmi_, Kotori would be the more "dominant" one (sort of).

Once again, a huge Thank You to **_Negitoro, ihavenoidea, avemari, NekoNicoZ, the intertwined feelings, TriGalaxy, OrientalFail, kryuu27, Guest, Harlaown, psyche28, Msmusicful, Dash24zappshift, Candus98, _****_maho1807, srednowforalcos, Nibi-M, Rikka-senpai, zorobin1 _**for reviewing/favouriting/following this fic!

and in reply to **_Candus98's _**question for a request of a HonoNozo fic: Sure! But it'll take a while since there are requests for other pairings as well. This applies to other requests as well! I don't mind any pairings but it may take me a while to figure out how to approach certain...rare pairings.

* * *

><p>Chapter: <em>I don't think I'll be able to eat a chocolate for at least half a year<em>_  
><em>

Pairing: Eli X Maki

Rating: T

In which Eli and Maki had swapped bodies.

* * *

><p>It was a perfectly normal day, where students flocked to their classes before the second bell rang. Well, it would have been perfect if not for two students– a certain first year and a certain third year – who were now in the restroom, instead of their respective classrooms. Not by choice, however.<p>

"I'm really, _really_ sorry, Maki," It was the fourth time Eli had apologised to her junior, who was now hunched over toilet bowl, retching.

"I didn't think eating so much chocolate would lead too..." Eli trailed off sheepishly, her expression plagued with guilt.

Eli only received a weak grunt from Maki as an answer before the younger girl started vomiting again.

Eli could hear a pained groan from inside the cubicle and her heart clenched, worried about her idol-mate. _She sounds like she's in a lot of pain. I wish I could alleviate some of the pain for her…_

The sounds of Maki retching finally stopped and a flush of the toilet could be heard.

"I don't understand this." A defeated sigh and a soft thud of Maki leaning and sliding down against the cubicle wall followed.

"...You mean why we had suddenly swapped bodies or why I'm eating so much chocolate when the swap happened?" Eli asked in a small voice. She really did feel guilty for inflicting this unexpected pain onto the younger girl. It wasn't as if she knew that they were going to swap bodies. It just happened. One second Eli was happily eating her chocolate while walking beside Nozomi and the next, she found herself in the first-year classroom, in Maki's body.

"...Both." Came the almost inaudible reply.

"...W-Well...I've received lots of chocolate in my locker...and to not eat them is such a waste since chocolate melts easily..." Eli tried to explain.

"At least we know now that even if we're in each other's body, our taste and preferences are still ours. I don't think I'll be able to eat a chocolate for at least half a year now..." Maki moaned in frustration as she fumbled for the lock of the cubicle door.

As soon as Maki stepped out, Eli, in Maki's body, could immediately tell by the pale complexion on her own body's face that Maki, who currently reside in her body, was feeling extremely sick and ill. Her face had lost its healthy colour and her lips were really parched and sickeningly white.

"It was really…weird. One minute I was in my classroom, waiting for homeroom to start, and in another, I was walking beside Nozomi." Maki grimaced as she recalled how her stomach had lurched, and how bile had risen up in her throat. "…And then nausea set in immediately. I had to fumble for an excuse before rushing to the nearest restroom to puke my guts out."

"I'm so sorry!" Eli apologised for the fifth time.

"Stop apologising. It's not going to solve the situation." Maki sighed before raising her eyebrow, "How'd you know I was in here anyway?"

"…When I found myself in the first year classroom, I panicked." Eli recalled before her expression turned grim. "I started to stand up and realised that my body felt weird – like there's this sense of being out of balance – and Rin suddenly started to call me 'Maki-chan'. That's when I figured, no matter how absurd it was, I've probably swapped bodies with you. I tried to find your cell phone and texted Nozomi, asking her where you – I mean, where _I _was, and she said that you looked like you were about to throw up so I went to nearest restroom from the location I was previously."

"I see," Maki sighed before she went over to the sink to wash up.

"How do you feel now?" Eli asked anxiously.

"Like…I'm about to puke any moment." Maki answered as she pressed her hand against her abdomen.

"Then it's probably better if I take you to the nurse's office now." Eli decided. "Can you walk?"

"…Yeah…" Maki murmured. The truth was, she felt a little weak in her knees but she didn't want to look weak in front of her senior. Just as she was about to take another step forward, her knees suddenly went jelly and she staggered.

Eli scowled and sighed in exasperation, "You're not fine at all. C'mon, I'll support you."

Maki gave an embarrassed nod while Eli wrapped her right arm around Maki's waist, and the other arm was swung over Maki's shoulder.

"Thank goodness you're almost my height." Eli commented as the duo walked out of the restroom and into the empty and quiet hallways.

When the duo reached the infirmary, the school nurse immediately shot up from her chair and exclaimed, "What happened?!"

"Ma– I mean, _Eli _here ate too much chocolate and felt really unwell." Eli explained. _It feels really weird to refer to someone else by your own name. _

"Oh no, come on, let's get her to the bed first." The nurse instructed as Eli led the wobbling Maki onto the infirmary bed.

"She even vomited just now in the restroom…" Eli thought she should probably mention this. Although her image as the ex-Student Council President would be tarnished by something as silly as eating too much chocolate which caused her to end up puking, she felt that Maki's health was more important.

"Alright, thanks, Nishikino-san." The nurse nodded as she rummaged through her drawers for an anti-nausea pill. "Here, Ayase-san, take this. Hopefully you'll feel better."

"T-Thank you…" Maki accepted the pill politely despite not used to being called by her friend's name. Without much hesitation, the younger girl swallowed the pill.

"Can I stay here until she feels better? I'm really worried about her. Besides, it's kind of my fault that she ended up like this…so I feel responsible for her state now." Eli asked the nurse. She thought it'd be prudent if she stayed in the infirmary with Maki since they've swapped bodies. It wouldn't raise suspicions from anyone either. Eli wasn't really confident that she could act like the first-year even if her life depended on it.

The nurse, thankfully, allowed her to stay at Maki's side.

Now seated on the bed next to the already asleep Maki, Eli gently ruffled the blonde locks. It felt strange to see herself lying on a bed sleeping. Without thinking, the Ex-Student Council President's hand reached for Maki's and clasped it tightly.

* * *

><p>Maki didn't know long she slept, but when she opened her eyes, she found herself face to face with her own face. She would have screamed if not for the fact that she suddenly remembered that she had swapped bodies with Eli. She wondered how Eli (in her body) had ended up lying (and sleeping) beside her. It almost took her a second later to notice that her hand was locked with Eli's and a mysterious warmth started to set in. Although she could never get used to holding her own body's hand, the fact that it was Eli in her own body had almost made that reality negligible as she enjoyed the warmness of Eli's hands wrapped around hers.<p>

Her own body then made a soft sound as Eli tightened her other arm around her waist.

A blush covered the younger girl's face when she realised the position they were in. The tint of red deepened into a red hue when Eli suddenly snuggled against her, her face at the crook of her neck. She could also feel Eli's breath tickling her sensitive skin and she shivered slightly.

_Why am I so embarrassed from having my own face snuggling against myself?_

Ignoring how wrong and strange that thought was, Maki could only attribute to it being the fact that she knew that Eli was currently in her body.

Her whole body started to heat up at the close proximity and she was about to wake Eli up when several figures walked into the infirmary.

"Ohya? What do we have here? Elichi, I didn't think you were so bold~"

_Oh no. _

"N-No, you've got it all wrong!" Maki immediately shot up from her bed, blushing furiously. She then winced as her vision went white momentarily from the head rush. Of course Nozomi would read the situation wrongly. Who wouldn't? "I-I was feeling unwell and E–I mean, Maki brought me to the infirmary…" Maki tried to explain, rubbing her temple with her palm.

"Nya~ Are you okay, Eli-chan?" Concerned filled Rin's face when she noticed the uncomfortable look on her friend's face.

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks for the concern..." Maki gave the cat-like girl a wry smile.

"Oh yeah! I suddenly remembered nya~ Before homeroom, Maki-chan suddenly dashed out of the classroom after she received a text."

"Ah, that was probably me. Maki-chan asked where Elichi was. But I didn't tell her where Elichi was exactly. So how did Maki-chan know?" Nozomi interjected.

Sweat dripped at the sides of Maki's forehead. How was she going to explain this bizarre situation to her idol-mates? She couldn't believe it herself until she got really sick (and puking her guts out but they didn't need to know that).

"That reminds me… Before homeroom, I was walking beside Elichi when she suddenly looked really sick." The purple haired girl then narrowed her eyes at Maki. "You muttered an excuse about feeling like throwing up before rushing off, presumably to the restroom. But it's weird that you, Elichi, actually felt sick from eating chocolate." Nozomi shot Maki a suspicious look. "Normally, no matter how much chocolate you ate, you'd still feel fine."

"I-I-I just didn't feel that well…" Maki stuttered nervously. How was she supposed to get out of this situation?!

Someone! _Anyone! _Save her!

"Mmm…" Fortunately, or unfortunately, a sudden sound saved Maki from answering Nozomi's question.

"…Maki? What's wrong?" the figure beside her yawned groggily. Maki stiffened before groaning inwardly. She'd forgotten that Eli didn't act like her usual alert and strict self when she woke up. When the older girl woke up, it often took her at least fifteen minutes to be fully awake. Eli also didn't notice that her hands were around someone else's waist so it was highly probable that she didn't notice Nozomi and the others in infirmary. Speaking of which, how did they know the both of them were in infirmary?

Maki bit her lips before hesitantly pointed at their visitors. Eli frowned and removed herself from the still blushing Maki (as if cuddling against Maki was the most natural thing that could happen) and turned to where Maki was pointing.

Eli froze.

_Oh no._

"H-Hi…Nozomi, Rin, Hanayo and Nico…chan." Eli greeted her friends timidly.

"Maki-chan, care to explain to us why you're…hugging Eli so intimately?" Nico finally demanded.

"I…um…I guess…I fell asleep…while watching over…Eli…" Eli laughed nervously.

"Although I'm very interested to know that as well–" Nozomi paused. "I'm more interested in knowing why Maki-chan called Eli 'Maki' when she woke up."

Eli eyes widened and cursed her own stupidity and carelessness. She should have checked her surroundings when she woke up.

"Um…" Hanayo, who'd been silent all this while suddenly spoke, "This is just a far-fetched theory though…" Hanayo swallowed before continuing, "I know it sounds absurd but…what if…what _if_ Maki-chan and Eli-chan had swapped bodies?"

The whole infirmary erupted into chaos immediately.

* * *

><p>Eli and Maki had no choice but to explain their current predicament to their friends who were bewildered and shocked at the situation surrounding the two. I mean, who wouldn't be?<p>

"I see...that's what happened..." Nozomi looked thoughtful as she placed her finger beneath her chin, still deep in thought.

"How did you make that connection anyway, Hanayo?" Eli asked curiously. Both Eli and Maki were now sitting on the infirmary bed, side by side, their shoulders touching - which didn't go unnoticed by a certain observant purple head.

"It was just a lucky guess," the brunette smiled.

"So let me get this straight," Nico started as she crossed her arms, "Eli and Maki-chan had swapped bodies for some _strange _and _unknown_ reason, so now Eli is in Maki-chan's body and Maki-chan is in Eli's body."

"Correct." Eli answered.

"That's so confusing nya~!" Rin burst out, grasping her head. "I still don't get nya! Who is who?!"

"Relax, Rin-chan," Hanayo tried to calm her childhood friend by touching the orange haired girl's shoulders gently.

"What a pain." Nico sighed in exasperation. "So, you two took the liberty to skip out on lessons and decided to sleep together in the infirmary?" Nico raised her eyebrow, not even realising what she'd just said could be misinterpreted into an innuendo.

Unfortunately, both girl that were on the bed caught onto the innuendo and their faces were flushed red.

"N-No, of course not!" Maki immediately asserted, almost indignantly. "Weren't you listening to out explanation just now?!"

"Oh? Why are you faces so red, Elichi, Maki-chan?" The mother-like figure of Muse smirked as her turquoise eyes glinted with mischief. "What could it be that you two were thinking?"

"N-Nothing! Nothing at all!" Maki almost yelled. "I-I just felt sick! That's all there is to it."

"N-Nozomi...please stop teasing us..." Eli gave her best friend a wary smile as she sighed. "Maki was really ill. Apparently I ate too much chocolate for her liking..."

The thought of the eating chocolate sent shivers down Maki's spine. She'd never, ever eat a chocolate again for at least half a year. She didn't think she'd be able to stand even the sight of it. Just the thought of it sent an uncomfortable feeling rumbling in her stomach.

"...Oh god...I think I'm gonna be sick again..." Maki groaned as she clutched her stomach. Bile threatened to rise from her throat again and the younger tried to force it down. She was almost off her feet, immediately, trying to get out of the room to the nearest restroom before the contents, whatever that were left, spewed out unsightly from her mouth.

"M-Maki!" Alarmed, Eli chased after her poor friend to the restroom.

_Just a little more. Hang in there, before I puke everything out. _

Maki burst into the restroom and into an empty cubicle before emptying the acidic content in her stomach once again. She was now slumped down on her knees as she continued to retch, her stomach rebelling violently as it forced everything out of her mouth.

Eli slid beside Maki, rubbing her back soothingly and in a rhythmic motion, trying to ease some of her pain.

"I'm...really sorry, Maki." Eli's voice broke as she apologised to the younger girl.

"That's...the...sixth time...you've apologised..." Maki gasped out weakly.

"You're counting?" Eli let out a dry laughter. _If only we could switch back now. I don't like seeing Maki like that any longer, especially since it was my fault to being with. _

"Of course," Maki snorted, or rather, tried to, as only a weak wheeze came out from her mouth.

"Are you alright now?" Eli asked softly, running her other hand down the blonde locks of her own body, hoping that it would help somehow.

"...Better than how I felt in the beginning actually." Maki's voice came out a little stronger as she flushed the gross contents down. "Did the nurse really give me an anti-nausea pill? I felt like I might've puked that pill out too..." Maki joked.

Eli's eyes widened as she let out a shock gasp. "...I can't believe Maki is attempting a joke..."

"H-Hey! I was...just trying to lighten the mood! You looked so depressed..." Maki shifted her eyes away as a new blush coloured her pale face.

"I appreciate the thought, Maki. Thank you," Eli smiled gently, her eyes softened before moving to hug the younger girl from behind.

"E-El-Eli?!"

Before Eli could say anything, she found herself hunched over the toilet bowl.

_D-Don't me..._

"I'm...back...in my body." That was Maki's voice.

_Then that means - _"I'm back...too..." Eli whispered, recognising her own sound coming from her own throat. She licked her lips and then immediately grimaced. She'd forgotten that the taste of bile still remained in her mouth.

"B-But how?" The red haired girl was still too surprised to realise her position of still leaning onto Eli's back.

"I don't know either. But I'm glad that I'm back into my body..." Eli heaved a sigh of obvious relief. _Maybe it's because I wished for it? But if that's the case, then why did we swap bodies in the first place?_

"Why's that?" If Eli didn't know better, she thought she heard a hint of hurt behind the red head's words.

_Did Eli really hate being my body that much? _At that thought, tears burned at the edge of her eyes, blurring her vision slightly. She didn't understand why, but just the thought of it made her heart ache.

"Well, if you're back in your own body, you'll feel much better right? You won't have to feel so sick." Eli explained, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, "I mean, I don't really care if I'm actually back in my body or not, your health is of a greater concern to me. And in this situation, the best way to alleviate your pain is to get you back into your body."

"I-Is that so..." Maki murmured, now a little embarrassed at having wronged Eli. She then pressed her face against Eli's back, inhaling the faint smell of lavender from the blonde's perfume.

"M-Maki...?" Eli was concerned at the sudden change in the red head. What was wrong? More importantly, Eli didn't know how she should react under such circumstances. It didn't help that her face was rapidly reddening at the feel of Maki pressing against her back. It was then she realised that that was the exact same position Maki was in before and she suddenly felt embarrassed at her own actions just now.

"J-Just...let me stay like that...please..." Maki's voice was barely a whisper. The red head didn't understand her actions either. All she knew was that she didn't ever want to let go of the blonde haired girl in front of her. She liked the feel of hugging the blonde and felt soothed and at ease. She knew her face had turned several shades darker and thanked the heavens that Eli was not able to see her right now.

"Okay," Maki could hear the smile in Eli's gentle and melodic voice and the two stayed there for quite some time before Nozomi and the others came rushing in to make sure that the both of them were still alive.

Not that the toilet cubicle was the best place in school to have romantic moment.

But then again, when it comes to love, it doesn't matter where you are.

That's what the two young ladies who had experienced quite an ordeal that day had thought.

However, neither ladies regretted what happened that day - as it had brought them closer to each other than before. Although the red haired girl really could do without the puking and stuff.

Now that the two young ladies are experiencing the feelings of what we call "love", the only step left is for them to work up the courage to confess to each other...

* * *

><p>AN: I'm sorry Maki XD Firstly, I almost made you faint in the previous story. And then, in this fic, I made you puke a few times. (laughs sheepishly). This was actually inspired by the anime _Kokoro Connect. _With the swapping bodies and all. And how Taichi started throwing up when he switched bodies with Himeko, who was sick.

Next'll be NicoMaki! and then HonoKoto! I wanted to do another EliUmi (or UmiEli) but I couldn't think of anything at the moment. (Those who wanted another EliUmi, I'm sorry! T_T)


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N_: Updates may come slower these days as I'm busy preparing my national exams. (Sorry!) and I hope I did NicoMaki justice. Writing them was never my forte but I find their relationship dynamics (in the anime) really interesting and fun. It's amazing how they're so different yet so alike. ;)

* * *

><p>Chapter:<em> I fell in love with my doctor<em>

Pairing: Nico X Maki

Rating: T (It touches a little on more sensitive issues. **Any resemblance to real life is purely coincidental.**)

AU: In which Maki is a doctor and Nico is her patient.

* * *

><p>Nishikino Maki sighed for the umpteenth time that day as she pinched the bridge of her nose with her fingers, trying to soothe the headache that had just set in. She then leaned against the comforts of the brown sofa in the hospital cafe.<p>

The cafe, which was usually bustling with customers, both doctors and patients, was now empty since it was already 11.30pm in the night.

"Maki?" A soft voice called out.

The red haired woman turned around, already knowing who was walking towards her.

"Eli." The doctor greeted the cafe manager.

Eli offered a slight smile as she sat down on the sofa opposite the younger doctor, "Having troubles with your patients again?"

Maki grimaced. The blonde was spot on, of course, as she usually was. That was one of the reason she came by the now empty cafe. To seek advice from Eli. Not that she would explicitly tell the pony tailed woman that though. But nonetheless, Eli had figured something must've happened with her patients again and that was why the red head was here.

"Would you like some tea before you tell me what's wrong?" Eli asked.

"...Thanks..."

"You're welcome," the blonde smiled as she stood up, and headed to the counter. It was a fortunate thing that she was the only one on night duty that day. She'd always dismissed her workers early since she figured that they had to have families too. Not that she didn't - it's just that her family had migrated back to Russia and her sister was still in university and had opted to stay in the dormitories instead. Thus, she lived in an apartment alone.

Once the tea was done, Eli gracefully carried it back to where Maki was sitting and placed two cups of tea gently onto the glass table.

"So...how's Alisa?" Maki started, fiddling with the handle of the teacup.

Eli almost smiled. She could tell that Maki was deliberately avoiding the subject as long as she could.

"She's fine and doing rather well in university. Yukiho-chan seems to be helping her out too." The blonde answered.

"I see...and Nozomi?" The red head piqued.

Now Eli was smiling. "Oh? You tell me instead. You see her often in the hospital right?"

The younger woman narrowed her eyes, "I'm sure you'll provide better and finer details then I do. You who see her almost every waking hour of your day."

Eli smirked. "What an exaggeration. I'm not seeing her right now am I?"

"It was just an expression." The red haired doctor scoffed, crossing her arms.

"Well, that's enough of small talk, Maki." Eli said as she sipped her tea. "Is it Yazawa Nico again?"

Maki almost cringed at the thought of the raven haired woman, who she swore, did not look her age at all given her petite size.

At the look on Maki's face, Eli knew she'd hit the jackpot. Vaguely amused, the blonde manager asked, "So what did she do this time?"

"She's so-" Maki gritted her teeth. "_infuriating_, _annoying_ and _irritating_."

"...go on" Eli gestured for Maki to continue her rant.

"She acts as if she's the goddamned princess in the ward. She's very demanding and even the nurses can't handle her. I even had to personally go to the ward to tell her off, to _advice-_" Maki said that word as if it was poison. "-her to respect the other patients and to be more understanding."

Maki was now clenching her fists tightly in pockets of her white coat. "She doesn't comply, she doesn't listen to me, and she doesn't cooperate. I can't believe she's older than me. Do you know how many times Hanayo had to come running to me?"

"It seems to me like she just likes your attention," Eli observed calmly. She had heard about Nico from Nozomi as well. Nozomi had told her that Nico was originally under another doctor's charge until she couldn't handle it and asked Maki to take over. Apparently, the woman had gotten into a car accident which killed her siblings and her mother had protected her and died in her place, while Nico had survived with a broken arm. Which was why Nozomi was the psychologist attached to the raven haired girl. She was sure that Maki knew all that. Perhaps that was why the red haired woman, despite her apparent dislike for the older woman, was still her attached doctor.

"As if." Maki rolled her eyes.

"It also says a lot about you, who didn't just hand her over to another doctor." Eli added, a hint of a smile crept up the lines of her lips.

"W-What?! I didn't hand her over because i-it'd cause unnecessary trouble for others!" The doctor said hotly, her face now flushed a little.

"Really?" Eli smirked. "All you've been talking about is her these days. You could've just ignored her and be professional about it, yet you're so agitated by her. You just can't leave her alone right? Both as a doctor and as another human being."

Maki didn't have a rebuttal for that as her face remained brightly flushed.

"So, what are you going to do now, Maki?"

* * *

><p>Nico wondered if she'd gone too far. It's not like she could help it. For some reason she couldn't comprehend, she was attracted to the red haired doctor.<p>

Ever since she'd been admitted into hospital, she'd been passed around by a few doctors and she knew that it was because of her own snarky and uncooperative behaviour. She admitted that she wasn't the most pleasant person to be around with and she'd often caused trouble for other patients as well as the doctors.

But the lilac eyed doctor never did get rid of her even though the red head was evidently pissed off at her and often argued with her to the point that she just left the ward in vexed frustration.

The first time she'd seen Dr Nishikino, Nico was immediately enraptured by her outward beauty. Her shoulder length scarlet hair that looked so soft and silky, her mesmerizing lilac orbs, her small supple pink lips, and her well endowed curves that was plainly visible despite the long white coat that was draped over her tight fitting white collared shirt and waist hugging black pencil skirt had made her stare at the red haired woman longer than she would like to. She'd also vaguely noticed the exposed smooth and slender legs that fitted into a pair of golden pumps.

Sighing, the raven haired woman leaned against her pillow and tried to erase the image of the exotic doctor that was imprinted in her mind. But no matter how much she tried, it only succeeded in making her want to see the red headed doctor more. Seriously, what was wrong with her? She must've been nuts to be infatuated with such a rude and cold doctor.

Then again, she hadn't felt this...refreshed in a long while. Especially since her accident. Though she didn't look like it, the fact was that Nico was still suffering from guilt over the car accident. Yes, she wasn't the one who caused the accident but it was the fact that her mother had died protecting her that made her guilty. Her mother and siblings didn't deserve to die. Every night, she'd be haunted by nightmares that caused her to work up quite a sweat when she woke up every morning, her eyes wild with utter fear. She didn't tell anyone about her dreams, she didn't dare to. It was only when her psychologist had threatened her that she finally yielded.

In her dreams, she'd relieve the car crash again. But this time, her sisters' and brother's face would be extremely bloody as they crawled to her moaning in pain, asking her why she was the only one who lived.

The only thing that distracted her from recalling her dream every waking hour was the sight of the beautiful red haired doctor and their daily arguments.

That was partly why she looked forward to seeing Dr Nishikino everyday. But she knew that it wouldn't last long. She'd eventually be discharged (with a broken arm) and soon, the lilac eyed doctor would probably forget about her.

She squinted her eyes, trying to read the time from the clock that was hanging near the door.

12.30am.

She'd better get back to sleep.

* * *

><p>Maki yawned, her eyes tearing a little as she walk down the hallways of the patients ward before stopping at a particular ward room. Taking a deep breath, the red haired doctor turned the knob of the white door and entered the room.<p>

Her eyes trained to a particular bed, Maki realised that her loud-mouthed patient was still asleep as was the rest of the patients were. Heaving a sigh of relief, the red haired woman was about to walk away when a voice stopped her, "Hey there, Maki-chan~"

Maki knew that kansai-accented voice anywhere. Turning around to face the new visitor, the doctor greeted the purple haired woman, "Hey."

"You don't look happy to see me..." Nozomi pointed out as she pretended to pout.

"...it's not that I'm not happy to see you..." Maki sighed. It's not her fault for having such a gloomy face. Maybe it was the lack of sleep. After all, it's 7am now. By the time she'd went back to her apartment, it was already close to 1am. She only had have a few hours of sleep and had to woken up at 5am again to come to the hospital.

"Oh well," the pig-tailed psychologist shrugged before saying, "Here to check up on Nico-cchi?"

"...How many times do I have to remind you to address our patients properly?! Seriously, Nozomi!"

The woman in front of Maki only smiled before casually saying, "It doesn't matter, does it? Besides. Nico-cchi doesn't mind it at all~"

Maki didn't say anything afterwards and the two just stood there in silence. After a few seconds, the red haired doctor finally said, her voice quiet and soft, "How's Yazawa?"

Nozomi pursed her lips and sighed. "No good. I can't get her to spill her thoughts and feelings. We are making improvements but only a little. We...are sort of friends now but I just can't seem open the door to her heart. It'd take more time." Her voice grew softer and serious as the purple haired woman looked a little melancholic. "Nico-cchi's problem can't be solved easily. She can only be 'cured' if she wants to be. I think her guilt is too much for her to accept. She puts up a front all the time but in her heart...she must be suffering. I wish I could do more than just try to force her to tell me everything. I really do want to help her." Nozomi's voice was earnest and and sincere, "Maki, if you can help her...I implore you to do so."

"How can I help her when she doesn't even want to be helped? How can I help when you, a professional and a friend of hers can't?" The red haired doctor sounded a little frustrated as she gritted her teeth. It's not as if she didn't want to help Yazawa. She really do - despite the fact that the petite woman always drove her up the wall and Maki often complained about her to Eli. She knew that Yazawa wasn't a bad person at heart, and Nozomi had clued her in about her mental wellbeing since she'd taken over the raven haired woman as her charge.

And there's also the fact that she just couldn't seem to leave her alone - a fact that Eli had pointed out the day before.

"Maki-chan," Nozomi began softly, "If it's you, I believe you can do it. Trust me on this one. When was I ever wrong?"

The red haired woman looked doubtful but she nodded, nonetheless.

"After all...Nico-cchi seems to be..." Nozomi's voice trailed off, a thoughtful yet hopeful look on her face.

"What is it?"

"Nothing..." The psychologist smiled. _After all, Nico-cchi is in love with you. _

Out of the corner of her eyes, Maki spotted her patient stirring on her bed. Thinking that she's about to wake up, the doctor walked towards the raven haired woman.

As she neared the bed, she realised that Nico was actually tossing about in her sleep. Her faced was pained, her lips curled and sweat was dripping down from the sides of her forehead. A whimper escaped from the woman's mouth and Maki's heart clenched tightly, a dull ache settling inside her heart. Nico seemed to be trapped inside a nightmare and Maki wished that there was something she could do to alleviate her pain and suffering. Almost instinctively, the red haired woman reached out to the sleeping form and gently touched her hand, hoping to reassure her - somehow.

Maki was surprised when Nico, upon feeling Maki's hand, squeezed back tightly.

Another soft and pained whimper could be heard and the red haired doctor tried to calm the raven haired woman by smoothing her other free hand over the patient's hair. Nico seemed to relax a little and Maki let out a sigh of relief.

Nozomi, seeing all these, smiled warmly. It made her somewhat missed her beloved as well and she made a mental note to look for her in the hospital cafe later on.

* * *

><p><em>"Why? Why is onee-sama the only one that gets to live?"<em>

_"Onee-chan...Why did we have to die?"_

_"Why did Mama have to die?"_

_"Onee-sama..."_

_"On...Onee...chan..."_

_"Tell me...Onee-chan..."_

_Blood splattered on her face, Nico was paralyzed with utmost fear. She couldn't move, neither could she speak. _

_They were all crawling towards her slowly, blood dripping from their forehead. _

_Their eyes were hollow and haunted. Blank. _

_"I'm so...sorry...I'm so sorry...sorry..." Those were the only words Nico could sputter out as tears streamed down her face._

_Kokoa...Kokoro...Kotarou..._

_Mama..._

_Her siblings' red stained hands all reached out to her, grabbing her, as if trying to drag her down with them._

* * *

><p>Nico woke up with a gasp, traces of tears trailing down her cheeks, her eyes wide with fear.<p>

_The dream. Oh God. The dream..._The image of her siblings blood stained face and hollow eyes haunted her and a sob choked out from within her.

"I'm so sorry...I'm sorry...Kokoa...Kokoro...Kotarou..." Nico started to sob as she brought her hands towards her face, anguished. Guilt threatened to overwhelm her -the hands of her own guilt was choking her in a death grip. She couldn't stand it. She couldn't accept the fact that her mother had sacrificed herself, couldn't accept the fact that her siblings were gone too. Before her father died when she was younger, she'd promised him to take care of her mother and siblings. Yet...they were all gone, just like that. She couldn't even protect them.

It was then a warm feeling enveloped her and she realised that someone was hugging her. That made her cry harder as she buried her face into the person's shoulder.

After crying for several minutes, she finally released herself from the person she was hugging.

Her eyes widened when she saw the kind and understanding look on her doctor's face.

Her mind started to whirl, trying to process this situation. She didn't expect the one who was comforting her to be...the red haired doctor. Neither did she expect the compassionate and sympathetic look on her usually indifferent and almost cold face.

"I-I..." She croaked out, her voice cracking in the most embarrassing way and her face burned. "I'm...sorry. I didn't mean to...I...just...thank...you..."

"It's fine," Dr Nishikino said softly.

An awkward silence ensued as neither women knew what to say.

Nico also realised that the curtain surrounding her bed was also drawn.

"Nozomi...drew the curtains. She figured you wouldn't want anyone to see you...crying..." Maki explained, when she noticed Nico looking at the beige curtains.

Another few seconds of silence.

Maki didn't know what she should say or do. But that wasn't her main concern. What she was more concerned about was the growing warmth inside her and a blush that threatened to colour her cheeks when she still felt the other woman's small hand that was still intertwined with hers.

She didn't want to make this situation more awkward but she still enjoyed Nico's hands in hers. She didn't understand why that was so but when she saw Nico's anguished look and heard her broken sobs, her whole heart lurched and she felt like crying herself. It also surprised her a little when Nico suddenly woke up gasping and crying. It was a good thing that Nozomi was still there and had thoughtfully drawn the curtains before leaving to give them the much needed privacy. It was also a good thing that most of the other patients were still asleep and no one was there to witness Nico's sudden outburst.

Nico, on the other hand, did noticed that her hands were still in the doctor's larger yet slender hands. She didn't really want to let go, relishing in the warmth that emitted from both of their hands. After all, it's not everyday you got to hold the hand of your crush, who happened to have really smooth hands.

After crying, she had calmed down and felt much better. She didn't know what possessed her to say the next few words but it came tumbling out of her mouth.

"...Nozomi told you about me right?"

"Yes...Does that upset you?" Maki's voice was quiet.

Nico shook her head. "No...after all, you're my doctor. You have the right to know."

"I...see..."

"I kept thinking that it was my fault...not the car accident of course, but the fact that my family...died. They didn't deserve to die. I even promised my..." The raven haired girl choked out, "...my dad before he died that I would take care of them. I've failed all of them..."

"Yazawa..." Maki reached out to the older girl, feeling compelled to comfort her.

"I'm sorry...for being such a...nuisance before." Nico apologised, wiping her tears with her sleeve. "I guess I made life difficult for so many people around me. But...meeting you, Doctor Nishikino...has given me some hope. I'm sorry if this comes off as weird...but ever since I've laid eyes on you, I'm enraptured by your outward beauty." Nico confessed, a slight blush forming on her face. "Your cold and apathetic appearance has somewhat irked me in the beginning but as time passes, you didn't hand me over to another doctor just because you couldn't handle me and...I'm grateful for that. I guess...overtime...I've sort of fallen for you, doctor."

Maki's face was now fully flushed as she tried to process the other girl's words. The confession seemed out of the blue and very uncharacteristic of the proud woman before her but Maki couldn't help the huge blush on her face and the thundering of her heart against her chest. She felt flattered yet _excited _at the same time. She couldn't comprehend why but she very badly wanted to hug the raven haired woman in front of her, who was looking all adorable and cute scratching her face in an embarrassed way, her eyes shifting away from her dumbfounded gaze shyly.

"I..." The red head muttered, her face still as bright as her scarlet hair. "I...Yazawa...I..."

"Call me Nico," The raven haired patient said.

"N-Nico...I don't know what to say. I'm flattered...and I know that I don't want to reject you...but...could you give me some time to think about this?"

"Time? Why do you still need to think over this?" a new voice spoke out.

"N-Nozomi?!" Both the doctor and patient exclaimed at the unexpected visitor.

"W-What are you...How...How long have you - "

"Since the beginning." The purple haired woman proclaimed proudly. "C'mon, Maki-chan, it's already evident that you like Nico-cchi already. So what's stopping you?"

Maki felt like dunking Nozomi into a toilet bowl for eavesdropping and interrupting them.

"Maki-chan? What's wrong? Why the long and sour face?" Nozomi asked, still clueless to the whirlwind of emotions raging inside the normally cool and collected doctor.

Without any forethought, the red haired woman leaned forward and pressed her lips against the raven haired woman in front of her.

"Happy now, Nozomi? Now get out." Maki steeled her voice.

"Um...Maki...chan...?" Nozomi now looked a little nervous. "I was just teasing you...you don't have to..."

"I said out. Do not make me repeat myself."

Nico's psychologist gulped and immediately retreated.

"...You're the first person I've ever since who could...make Nozomi nervous..." Nico blinked, the blush from Maki's unexpected kiss stilled remained on her face.

"You haven't seen her girlfriend yet," Maki snorted. Eli could be downright scary when she wanted to.

"Girlfriend? She has a girlfriend?" Nico looked shocked.

"Yeah, she's the manager of the hospital cafe. She didn't tell you?" The red head licked her lips. She really liked the feel of Nico's lips against hers just now. _I want to feel it again. _

"No..."

"Hey, Nico...can...I kiss you again?" Maki asked, her cheeks warming considerably.

"S-Sure..." The redness in Nico's face mirrored Maki's as she stammered.

Once Nico gave the green light, Maki immediately brought the older woman towards her and their lips met together in another kiss.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter: _Umi's careful and meticulous planning_

Pairing: Honoka X Kotori

Rating: T

* * *

><p>Here's the dilemma.<p>

Would you open your eyes to see something that you only get to see for perhaps only once in your entire life - something so heavenly and something irresistible, but feel ashamed afterwards, or would you choose to remain closing your eyes due to your own moral values (whatever that is left) but regret your decision later?

The fight between her conscious raged on, neither wanting to back down.

It's only a peek - no one would know, a part of her reasoned.

But it's wrong and immoral, the other part of her argued.

After a few more seconds of the battle between her desires and her conscious, the taupe haired girl finally chose to open her eyes.

What assaulted her sight was orange. Plain bright orange and little cute paw prints surrounding an adorable chibi bear.

The taupe girl gulped, her face flushed as she tried to maintain her balance, her grip on the pair of ankles on her shoulders tightened.

"O-Ouch! Kotori-chan! You're hurting me..." A voice yelped and drips of perspiration started to trickle from the sides of the taupe haired girl's head.

Orange and paw prints.

Her mind whirled.

Orange...and paw prints and a cute bear.

Her mind started to spin in circles.

An image of a ginger haired girl jumping around in her extremely adorable bear outfit flashed across her mind.

Her mind continued to swirl and her face flushed brighter.

Kotori gulped again, her hands shaking slightly as she continued to stare at the piece of orange cloth that fitted snugly underneath her childhood friend's school skirt.

Kotori then knew that she should've just closed her eyes, and resisted her temptations. But alas, like all weak-willed human beings, she had succumbed to temptation and had opened her eyes, feasting herself with the sight of her crush's undergarments. She knew that she'd probably go to hell for this, but that didn't stop her from staring.

Her whole body burning hotly, Kotori fervently hoped that Honoka hadn't noticed that she was shivering slightly and was staring at the ginger head's underwear openly.

"I'm sorry, Honoka-chan..." Kotori finally said in a strangled voice as she tried to soften her iron grip on her friend's ankles.

_Is Honoka-chan done yet?_ Kotori repressed a groan. _How long is she going to stand on my shoulder? _As much as the taller girl liked the sight before her, she didn't think she'd be able to maintain her composure for long if this kept up.

"Honoka-chan? Are you done yet?" Kotori tried to ask as she bit her inner lips. What was taking the ginger haired girl so long to place the injured little bird back into its nest?

"Ah! I'm actually done. It's just that the bird looked so adorable and kind of like you that I totally forgot that I was standing on your shoulders until just now..."

At the words "adorable" and "kind of like you", Kotori was sure that steam was coming off from above her head and from her ears. Her face was impossibly red although she knew that her childhood friend probably didn't mean anything more when she said "adorable". Seriously, she should stop deluding herself and get a grip on herself and reality.

If only she had the courage to confess to her ginger haired friend. But then again, given how straight forward and dense her childhood friend was and could be, she doubted Honoka would understand her intentions unless she took some drastic actions like say, kissing her friend so that she'll understand that she was romantically in love with the her.

Kotori tried to look up again, this time averting her gaze from the orange piece of cloth and she could vaguely hear Honoka gushing about the bird again.

The taupe haired girl sighed.

This would take a while.

* * *

><p>It's already bad enough that her one of her childhood friends was dense beyond belief. To make her situation even worse, her other childhood friend, her usual confidant, was also a piece of dense woodblock.<p>

The blue haired girl knew that something was troubling her childhood friend, but she didn't know what. Kotori admitted and told Umi that she had liked Honoka after finally gathering up her courage. But Umi totally didn't get it, and even misunderstood and said that she liked Honoka as well (platonic love of course).

"Kotori..." The blue haired archer muttered, upon noticing the slightly melancholic look on the taupe haired girl's face as the younger girl sat dejectedly on the bench near the archery range, downcast.

The said girl sighed. She had to be more specific and clear so that Umi would understand. Biting her lips, the taupe haired girl once again gathered up her courage and finally said, "Umi-chan...I'm in love with Honoka-chan."

Silence.

"...in love...?" Umi could only dumbly repeat her words.

"Yes," Kotori confirmed, although her voice was barely a whisper. "I've fallen for her."

Umi seemed to contemplate something before her eyes widened in slow realization.

"...Umi...chan...?" Kotori dared to look up, trying to search for a hint of expression on Umi's face.

"I see." That was the only curt response that Umi gave.

Was Umi angry? Kotori couldn't decipher the bluenete's expression and the older girl had already turned her back towards her. Kotori immediately regretted her decision to tell Umi about her unrequited love. She had thought that if it was Umi, the bluenete would definitely support her and not judge her. Perhaps Umi's family's traditional value was still so deeply ingrained in her that she couldn't accept the fact that her best friend had fallen for a girl?

At that thought, Kotori bit her lips once again as she stayed silent, waiting for Umi's wrath and judgement.

To her surprise, Umi had picked up her bow and proceeded to the archery range.

What was she doing?

Poising herself, the blue haired girl took in a huge breath and drew back the arrow. A moment later, a loud swish and thud could be heard as the arrow hit the center of the target.

The girl in hakama suddenly spun around, surprising Kotori.

A new fire of determination lit in those golden orbs

"I will help you attain your love!" the archer declared loudly and dramatically, her gaze burning into Kotori's own amber orbs.

Kotori could only stare at her best friend, flabbergasted, yet inwardly relieved and thankful that Umi wasn't mad or even in the slightest, disgusted with her.

* * *

><p>"I have to go to Kyudo practice now. You two go on ahead without me." Umi stated after their idol practice in the late afternoon.<p>

"Eh? You're going for Kyudo again, Umi-chan?" Honoka let her surprise show.

"Yes. There's a tournament coming up and I can't afford to laze around." The bluenete said firmly as she grabbed her bag. "I'll see the both of you tomorrow!"

"All the best, Kotori. You can do it!" Umi whispered in Kotori's ears before she left the classroom.

Leaving Kotori and Honoka the only ones behind as the rest of Muse had already left prior to Umi's exit.

"Shall we go too, then?" Honoka shrugged as she turned to her childhood friend who seemed a little fidgety for some reason. What was wrong with Kotori? Her face seemed a little red too, was she feeling ill?

"...Yea...let's." the taupe haired girl could only say as she followed her childhood friend out of the classroom, inwardly cursing Umi. When Umi had promised that she'd help, Kotori didn't think it was by leaving her alone with Honoka all the time so that she could work her non existent magic and confess to the ginger head.

In fact, Kotori had thought that the bluenete would come up with a concrete plan to help her get Honoka interested in her.

"Hey...Honoka-chan..." Kotori started. Her heart was beating wildly in her chest and she swore she could hear her own heart beat threatening to burst out of her chest.

"Hm? What's wrong Kotori-chan?"

"I..." Kotori tried to force the rest of the sentence out of her mouth but could only manage a weak stutter. _Come on, Kotori. You have to do this. _

"Kotori...chan?"

"I...I...love...y.." Kotori clenched her fists tightly as she continued to stammer,. She could feel her palms getting moist from the nerves. Why couldn't she say it? She could say it to Umi right? So why couldn't she say it right into Honoka's face? Even Umi had supported her given her an opportunity like this!

"Love?" the ginger haired girl echoed.

"I...I love..y..yo.."

"Yo...?" Honoka raised an eyebrow as she inched her face closer to the taupe haired girl. Kotori seemed a little flushed and was sweating a little. Maybe she really was sick? But what did she want to tell her? Yo? What was that suppose to mean?

"Yogurt! I-I love Yo-Yogurt!" Kotori blurted out as she mind spun, dizzy from the close proximity between Honoka's face and hers.

_You stupid, stupid, stupid fool! You're an idiot, Kotori! _Kotori screamed in her mind. How could she be such a coward and chicken out at the last moment?!

"Ah! Yogurt! I love yogurt too~" The unsuspecting Honoka chirped as she grinned happily at the thought of yogurts. "Speaking of which, why don't we go to the nearby desert stall and have some yogurt?" The ginger haired girl suggested cheerfully.

Kotori could only nod in answer, feeling dejected and depressed that she had messed up just now.

* * *

><p>"Umi-chan...I can't do it..." Kotori sighed as she leaned against Umi's back. "I tried to confess but I just couldn't get the words out."<p>

"Is that so..."

"Besides, you said you'd help me attain my love! Could you help me think of an alternative?"

"Well, you're the one who's in love, not me. Besides, this is Honoka we're talking about. A direct measure always works!" Umi said confidently.

"True but...Umi-chan...you have to do something! Anything! Help me! Please!"

The bluenete sighed, feeling a little sorry for the taupe girl. Well, she did promise to help Kotori.

Before Umi could answer her best friend, the door bell rang.

"Ah. She's here..." Umi uttered.

"Huh? Who?" Kotori looked confused. She didn't remember inviting anyone to her house except for Umi. Who was at the door then?

"Aren't you going to get the door?" the archer piqued.

"Ah-right." The taupe head immediately stood up and ran towards the apartment door.

"Coming!" Kotori yelled as she reached for the door knob. What greeted her caused her eyes to widen.

"H-Honoka-chan?!"

"Hey there, Kotori-chan~ Umi invited me and said that she wanted to talk to me. Can I go in now?"

"S-Sure.." Kotori stuttered dumbly as she let the unexpected visitor in.

_I'm going to kill Umi-chan after Honoka-chan leaves._

"Soooo, what was it you wanted to talk to me about?" Honoka turned towards Umi, who was casually and apathetically reading her novel.

Closing her novel, Umi straightened up, a serious look adorned on her features.

Honoka, sensing that this was important, immediately sat up as well, mirroring Umi's posture.

_What's...going on?_ Kotori looked at her two childhood friends. Worry and curiosity welled inside her as she wondered what Umi was going to say or do.

"Honoka," Umi began, her voice solemn and business-like, leaving no room for any jokes.

"Y-Yes, Umi-chan?" Honoka was feeling a little nervous at the intense look the blue haired girl was giving her.

"Do you like..." Umi continued.

"like...?" the ginger head echoed.

"...birds?" Umi finished her question.

"Huh?" Honoka stared blankly at the bluenete before her question really set in. Was Umi playing a prank on her or something?

"Do you like birds?" Umi asked again, the serious look never left her face.

Feeling and knowing that the bluenete was probably serious, and not wanting to risk her life by believing otherwise, Honoka nodded and answered with the same amount of seriousness.

"Yes, I like birds."

Umi's stern face immediately melted as a warm smile replaced her previously stoic feature. "There you go, Kotori! Honoka likes birds! There's nothing for you to worry about!"

Kotori could only take in a few deep breaths and count to 10 to resist the urge to throw her huge toy alpaca that was lying on her bed at Umi.

* * *

><p><em>This is hopeless...!<em>

Kotori wondered if Umi was actually serious about helping her.

She found it weird that her usually serious and disciplined friend was not being really helpful. Maybe she was expecting too much? After all, it was still her crush, and Umi was under no obligation to fully help her win Honoka's affections.

Kotori stifled a sigh as she leaned against the soft fluffy white fur of the alpaca on the school grounds. The alpaca let out a pleased grunt, nuzzling the taupe haired girl's face.

"Ah-that tickles!" Kotori giggled as the alpaca continued to rub its snout against the second year's face and neck.

"Kotori-chan?" a familiar voice spoke out from behind her.

"Ah- Honoka-chan...What are you doing here?" Kotori let go of her favourite alpaca as she turned around to greet the ginger haired girl.

"Hm? I came to look for you. Umi-chan said that you're likely to be hanging out with the alpacas again so I came by to check." The student council president answered with a bright smile.

At the megawatt smile that Honoka had just flashed her, Kotori's heart skipped a beat as blood rushed towards her cheeks. "I-I see..."

"Well, to be honest, I wanted to ask you something. I figured it could wait till tomorrow but Umi-chan insisted that I should look for you now...so here I am. So, Kotori-chan, do you-" Before Honoka could finish her question, a sudden splat on her face blurred her vision momentarily.

"W-Wha-" the ginger haired girl couldn't comprehend what was going on as she tried to wipe the sticky liquid of her face but unfortunately, she lost her footing and in a split second, she was sent crashing onto the girl in front of her and they both went tumbling down, into the alpaca's stable.

As the two girls winced and groaned in pain, the alpaca, who had stepped aside upon sensing that his two favourite humans were about to fall into his home, had a smug grin plastered on his face.

Meanwhile, inside the alpaca's stable, Honoka had unintentionally landed on Kotori, one of her knees in between Kotori's legs and her hands fell beside Kotori's body.

"O-Ouch!" Honoka hissed as she tried to sit up, completely unaware that her sudden movement had caused her knee to dig into the the area between thighs of the girl underneath her. Kotori let out an involuntary gasp at the pressure and fought hard to repress another gasp when she felt another movement against her.

The first thing Honoka noticed in her muddled state of mind was the vague scent of honey, and she assumed that it came from Kotori. _It smells really nice though. _Honoka inhaled again, allowing Kotori's scent to fill her. _Ah. Why did she have to smell so good? _

"H-Honoka-chan..." Kotori whimpered, red faced, both at the position they are in, and at Honoka's blatant sniffing against her neck, causing her breath to tickle the taupe head's sensitive skin.

"K-Kotori-chan! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to fall onto you!" Honoka immediately apologised in horror when what had happened finally sunk in.

"It's...okay, Honoka-chan..." Kotori tried to say. It wasn't the ginger haired girl's fault that the alpaca had suddenly spat on her, leading her to fall against her - who happened to be in front - and into the alpaca's stable.

Honoka was about to answer Kotori when her eyes caught the set of amber orbs. She immediately froze and upon realising the compromising position she was in, immediately blushed.

"I'm so _so_ sorry, Kotori-chan!" the ginger haired girl hastily removed herself from her friend, though the blush on her face still remained.

Kotori wasn't faring any better as her face flamed a scarlet red, and her body was still burning from the feel of Honoka on her body.

_Stop. Don't think about it. _Kotori chided herself.

The two stayed there in a somewhat awkward silence, neither knowing what to say. Honoka had looked away, embarrassed at her actions while Kotori remained seated on the ground, unsure.

The silence was broken by a loud snort from beside them and the two turned to the side, only to see the alpaca making a low grunt of annoyance.

"Ah-alpaca-san, I'm sorry, we'll get out of your-" Before Honoka could finish her sentence the alpaca had trotted beside her and smacked her forward with his snout, causing the poor girl to fall onto Kotori again (a sense of deja vu anyone?).

Kotori's breath hitched at the feel of her childhood friend's bosom against hers and she bit her lips.

The ginger haired girl winced again. The same honey scent wafted into her nose and Honoka noted that once again, Kotori smelt really nice and that there was a comfortable warmth beneath her. She also realised that once again, she was lying onto top of Kotori.

This time, a full blown blush covered her entire face and she seemed to be rooted to the spot.

Kotori, on the other hand, wondered if fate was playing a cruel trick on her. Perhaps this was a sign of fate telling her that she should use this opportunity to confess to Honoka? After all, it wasn't common to have your crush falling onto you on the same day, in the same hour, within a few minutes.

It's now or never.

Picking up her courage once more, Kotori began, "Honoka-chan."

"Y-Yes?" The ginger haired girl stuttered, her uncertain blue orbs meeting Kotori's determined eyes. _Honoka stuttered? How cute. _The taupe girl thought as she smiled inwardly.

"Honoka-chan...I know that this probably isn't the best time to say this but..." Kotori sucked in a huge breath. _You can do this, Kotori. Believe in yourself. _"I...I'm in love with you, Honoka-chan."

"W-Wha-"

"I love you!" Kotori confessed again, her face turning several shades redder but her eyes never left Honoka's.

Honoka tried to comprehend and process the situation before her.

[She came by the alpaca's hut to look for Kotori because she had something to ask her.

The male alpaca spat on her face and caused her to crash into Kotori and the both of them tumbled into the hut.

She fell on top of Kotori.

She realised that Kotori smelt really nice.

She got up.

Just to be smacked by the alpaca and landed on Kotori again.

Kotori had confessed to her.]

Confessed?

The clockworks in her mind started to turn again and the ginger haired girl eye's widened.

"I..I'm sorry, Honoka-chan. I just had to tell you. It's okay if you don't feel the same way," Kotori finally said, her now tear filled eyes conveyed boundless emotions of sorrow, apparently taking Honoka's silence as a rejection.

"W-Wait! Kotori-chan!" Honoka burst out. "You're wrong! I-I love you too!" The ginger haired girl said hastily, wanting to correct whatever misunderstanding Kotori was having, as well as to stop the tears that were threatening to fall onto Kotori's face.

"Really?" Kotori sniffed, her eyes glistening with hope as her small supple lips curled cutely.

_Oh man. Kotori-chan's so adorable. _Honoka couldn't help but squeal internally but outwardly, she grinned brightly, "Of course. I was just surprised at your sudden confession! In fact, I've been in love with you as well for quite some time!"

"Honoka-chan!" Kotori beamed as she suddenly sat up and hugged the ginger haired girl.

"Hehe." Honoka smiled as she patted Kotori's head as the latter nuzzled against the crook of the former's neck.

Out of the corner of her eye, Honoka spotted a flash of blue near the alpaca's stable. Her grin widened as she gave the onlooker a thumb up.

The onlooker returned the thumb up and the ginger haired girl mouthed, "_Thank you, Umi-chan."_

* * *

><p>"Honoka, I believe you still owe me something?" Umi said expectantly as she crossed her arms across her chest.<p>

"Hehe. I know, Umi-chan." Honoka smiled. She was awfully happy since yesterday when the love of her life finally confessed to her.

"It was hard trying to convince the alpaca to help out. I tried to threaten him with my bow and arrow but it didn't work. Only when I mentioned that Kotori's happiness is at stake did he agreed to help me. Sheesh." Umi complained.

"Well~ At least Kotori's mine now~" Honoka looked like she could jump in utter happiness. "Really, thank you, Umi-chan. Without your help, I wouldn't have known that Kotori actually returned my feelings!"

"There's no need to thank me." Umi sighed. "Really, the both of you are so troublesome. Asking for my help at the _same _time, trying to attract the other party. It would've been faster if you've just confessed to her, Honoka!"

"Well...I was nervous and I was afraid as well..." the ginger haired girl said sheepishly.

"What's done is done. Now, for my payment..." Umi trailed off as she narrowed her eyes.

"I know, I know. I have it with me." Honoka proclaimed proudly as she took a box out of her bag. "Here you go! Homura's special manjuu! I've given you extras too~"

Umi eyes sparkled upon seeing the box and gladly accepted her prize.

* * *

><p><em>AN:_ I'm sorry, I'll think of something better next time, I swear. I just can't seem to write another serious one after what happened to Nico in my last update T_T

Oh yea, when Umi asked if Honoka likes birds, it was an indirect way of asking Honoka if she likes Kotori since Kotori is often alluded to a bird since her name does mean a bird. Uh yea. Okay, that wasn't funny. I'm so sorry. T_T

And I probably won't update again until a month later as my exams starts in less than 10 days.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N**: In case anyone is wondering about the order of pairings for the subsequent chapters: _NozoEli, HonoNozo, RinPana, NozoNico, RinMaki, HonoMaki, HonoRin_

and maybe some of the pairings that I've already posted before.

**Oh yea**, if there's anyone who wants to give me a prompt, that's fine too! Otherwise, I'd just come up with something. (hopefully that is to your liking!)

The order is determined by who requested which pairing first. If I've left out any, please do tell me! (**I don't bite.**)

* * *

><p>I've decided to stop being lazy, so...here are the<strong> Review replies:<strong>

Msmusicful: I kind of understand what you mean and it's fun imagining anyone with Maki. But I do think that Honoka is also pretty shippable. That's just my opinions though haha~

ihavenoidea: Yep, sorry! More EliMaki, EliUmi and UmiMaki would have to wait. And thanks! I find EliUmi and EliMaki irresistible, so I'll probably release a chapter on either with the other requested pairing(s).

kryuu27: When they do confess...hm I'd say Maki would still be sick of chocolate hahha ;)

Guest: Yep~ I was waiting for someone to actually suggest NozoEli and RinPana! These two are an absolute must! Not too sure if you're the same "Guest" that requested for RinMaki, but if you are, yep, RinMaki is fine! (I have a soft spot for any pairings within the first years - MakiRin, RinPana, MakiPana - they are just too adorable!)

Gu3st: Yep! Sure~ NozoNico is fine, in fact it's a pairing I've thought about but never wrote. And I'll use your idea of Nozomi's favorite pastime of groping if you don't mind :)

Kajeno Otamegane: Yes, ship them more! KotoUmi is my otpppppppp. (But) I support UmiMaki too. Never knew how cute they would go together until I've actually thought about putting them together.

lunarsaber12: Thank you!:D

KidoTsubomi22: Thank you! :) :)

Bleach010915: Thanks! Sorry for the long wait!

Dakimomoe: Thank you~ At this rate I'm going, I might have to pair everyone with Umi, hahaha

the intertwined feelings: Hahaha, thank you and you're welcome~ Here's another chapter! I have a feeling you're gonna "divorce" me straight away after this chapter. Regardless...

Lin Harlaown: Thanks! Hahaha it didn't occured to me that Umi here is like Maki. Hmmm...

Nelura: Aye! I'll get to your request ASAP!

Dash24zappshift: I'd have to take the squealing and "kya-ing" as a positive review. Thanks!

Enya Talisman: Thanks! I have a feeling Honoka would totally give you her underwear... and I hesitate to ask who would want her underwear...

Major Mike Powell III: Thank you~ :) Continue on, I will!

makkomakorin: Thank you~ Hahaha it's okay! Everyone has their own preferences! I'd probably do NicoMaki sometime soon, don't worry! (since quite a few people wanted more of it as well)

* * *

><p>Pairing: Honoka X Umi<p>

Rating: T (pain, pain and more pain)

Chapter: _Magic_

AU: In which both Honoka and Umi are monster hunters. They are undertaking a quest and Umi gets hurt while trying to save Honoka. (I'm sorry, Umi.)

* * *

><p>"HONOKA!"<p>

A sharp cry had jolted the ginger haired girl from her stunned state and almost immediately, she saw a flash of blue in her line of vision.

Her eyes immediately widened as the long purple talons of the monster clawed the figure's front brutally, causing the girl in front of her to cry out in pain as scarlet spewed out from the girl's wound.

Before Kousaka Honoka could even react, the figure had in retaliation, slashed the monster in front of her with inhumane speed, charging her sharp and jagged knife with her own magic before a pained gasp escaped from her mouth and the figure collapsed onto the ground immediately.

* * *

><p>Poisoned. She was poisoned by the monster's claws. She immediately realized that when the monster had struck her. That was why she had to quickly deal with the monster before the poison took effect.<p>

Hot searing pain erupted in her body as soon as she slashed the monster down. With a pained gasp, Sonoda Umi's legs weakened and buckled, and she fell onto the ground. As a new and raw pain pierced through her body once more, a scream clawed its way out of her mouth.

The pain was unbearable. Her whole body burned terribly - it was as of her entire body was being charred. Her bones felt like it was melting and there was nothing she could do to stop the excruciating pain.

She couldn't even think - she could scarcely breathe. Pins and needles pierced through her battered body and her breaths came out in short gasps and rasps. Even the act of trying to breathe whatever small amounts of air she could burned her throat, choking her windpipe more.

Her head hurt, as if someone had taken a hammer and repeatedly pounded against it and her world had split into threes and fours. Her limbs felt extremely numb and heavy, a huge contrast to the rest of her burning body. Her ears were also ringing and the agony she was experiencing was killing her, ripping her into pieces slowly and cruelly.

_Oh god, it hurts. It hurts so much_.

That was the only coherent thought left in the bluenete's mind as pain continued to assault her body, leaving her convulsing and writhing as the lethal poison travelled and spread throughout her body.

"Umi-chan! Umi-chan!" Honoka screamed out as she immediately sprang forward, scrambling towards the blue haired girl.

Another scream ripped out from Umi's throat and Honoka's heart sank as guilt and worry gnawed at her.

"I'm...sorry, Umi-chan..." Honoka could only choke out as she fell on her knees beside her best friend.

The usual calm and serene look on Umi's face had contorted into one of pain, as her breaths became labored. Beads of perspiration gathered at the sides of her head, her cheeks was flushed in an unhealthy red. Her shirt was also torn, and blood was oozing out from the wound the monster had inflicted on her with its sharp claws, staining her shirt and midnight blue blazer.

Honoka felt as if someone had stabbed her and ripped her heart to pieces. The pained look on the bluenete's face and her agonized whimpers struck her heart and it hurt to see her best friend on the floor, writhing in pain. Tears started to stream down her blood stained cheeks.

She didn't notice that there were residuals of blood on her cheeks, and she also didn't notice that her arm was heavily bruised and bleeding. All she could think of was how Umi had taken a blow for her and had ended the fight swiftly before collapsing onto the ground screaming in pain as the poison of the monster had inflicted on her took immediate effect. Although her screams had died down to rasps and whimpers, Hokoka was still heavily haunted by the tortured screams she'd heard from the usually controlled girl.

"Umi...chan...I'm so sorry...If I'd been stronger...you wouldn't..." Honoka couldn't finish her sentence as another sob overcame her.

_It's my fault. I'm so sorry, Umi-chan..._

Feelings of intense guilt, self-contempt and hatred was threatening to smother her.

If only she'd noticed the monster.

If only Umi hadn't saved her.

She hated herself for being the cause of Umi's agony. She also hated the fact that she was entirely useless, being unable to do anything to help her friend.

Grasping the blue haired girl's cold hands, the ginger head bit her lips.

"Hang in there, Umi-chan! K-Kotori-chan and Maki-chan would be here soon...so...please...hang in there..." Her voice broke, quivering as she pleaded fervently. Umi had to survive this. She had to. She didn't know what she'd do if the blue haired girl wasn't here anymore.

Another shot of pain pierced through Umi's heart and she cried out, tightening her grasp onto Honoka's trembling hand. She gritted her teeth, trying to contain another set of scream that was trying to claw its way out of her throat.

She wouldn't scream.

She didn't want to worry Honoka and she knew that the ginger head must've been blaming herself. She wanted to console the younger girl, yet every time she tried to speak, a whimper escaped out from her mouth instead. It didn't help that her vision was distorted and her throbbing head wouldn't quieten down at all.

"H...Ho...no...ka..." Umi managed to rasp out. The bluenete knew that her friends were coming but she also knew that realistically, there was a chance that she would not live to see the next hour.

Seeing the anguished look on Honoka's face, Umi's heart broke little. When the monster was about to attack the unsuspecting Honoka, the blue haired girl didn't even have time to react, and had instinctively thrown her body forward, in an attempt to shove Honoka away or at least take a blow for her. She wanted to protect her childhood friend no matter what; she couldn't bear to see Honoka hurt. Unfortunately, she didn't realize until it was too late that the claws of the monsters were saturated with lethal poison.

"U-Umi...chan..." Honoka sniffed as she whispered, "I'm...I'm so sorry..."

"...do..don't...ave..to...logise..." The blue haired girl's voice was barely audible as she struggled to speak in the midst of the hazy pain.

"But..." The ginger haired girl bit her lips as she looked at her childhood friend helplessly.

"Honoka-chan!" A familiar voice called out, interrupting the two.

"W-Wait, Kotori!" Another voice could be heard, seemingly chasing the familiar voice.

Hope immediately lit up in Honoka's heart when she heard her friends' voices.

"Kotori-chan! Maki-chan! Hurry! Umi-chan...she..." Eyes brimming with tear filled fear and desperation, Honoka cried out.

Kotori's eyes widened at the sight of the bluenete lying on the ground gasping. "Umi...chan..." She whispered, swallowing.

Taking in a shaky breath, Kotori exhaled.

"This is bad..." Her voice came out strangled as she tried to withhold the emotions within her, yet hints of tears had gathered at the sides of her amber eyes. Judging by the deathly pale complexion and the bloodied outfit, as well as the pained gasps emitting out from the blue head, Kotori immediately knew that Umi was in deep trouble.

"W-What do you mean...?" Honoka felt the world spun against her as she tried to register Kotori's words. Did that mean that there's no hope? No. She refused to believe that.

"What happened just now?" Maki asked, her voice void of any unnecessary emotion, as she donned on her professional mask, bending down to check Umi's condition. She had a rough guess about what had happened judging by the external wound but she wanted to be sure.

"I...we fought a monster. I was too careless and...and Umi-chan...she tried to protect me from the claws of the monster...she was probably poisoned then..." Honoka blurted out as she continued to babble incoherently.

"I see." Maki's eyes hardened as she began to analyze Umi's condition. The red haired doctor bit her lips, fervently hoping that she was wrong as she tore Umi's shirt, exposing her wounded chest. What she saw made her blood freeze as dread started to sink in.

_A long and jagged crescent-like gash across her chest, eating into her skin. _

_The gash seemed to be quite deep and it's located near her heart. _

_Traces of poison on the wound itself...followed by the darkening of her skin to a light purple..._

_Coupled with a pale complexion, and dry and bluing lips._

Maki inhaled.

_Oh no_.

She exhaled.

_That means..._

"Honoka, the poison has reached Umi's heart." Maki said softly as she forced herself to look into her friend's eyes. As much she as she hated her words, and as much as she hated to say it, the red head had to. She was a doctor after all. The young doctor then clenched her fists as she dropped yet another bomb. "She doesn't have long to live."

It was as if time had stopped. Honoka's heart lurched and she could feel blood rushing into her ringing head as she tried to register the red haired doctor's words.

It can't be.

It...can't be.

It...can't...be...

No.

"You're...lying..." Honoka's lips quavered as her eyes went wide.

"Maki-chan! You're a doctor aren't you? Do something! Please, I beg of you! Please save Umi-chan! Kotori-chan! You're a healer right?! Please..." The ginger haired girl cried out, imploring the red head. "I-I can't lose her, not Umi-chan. If she's gone...I-I..." Honoka couldn't continue as she broke into sobs at the thought of even losing her best friend. Not the passionate, kind, yet stern girl, not the girl who had been by her side for the past 16 years, not the girl who was always nagging at her for her own sake, not the girl she respected and admired, not the girl...she loved so deeply.

"H-Honoka..." Maki murmured as a dull ache settled in her heart. She didn't like seeing her good friend break down like that - it wasn't like the usually optimistic and cheerful girl Maki had hung out with. Now, Honoka looked like she'd just lost her beloved, her usually bright blue eyes dulled to a darker shade of blue as tears continued to stain her cheeks as she continued to cry helplessly.

Hokoka didn't want Umi to die. Heck, she didn't even want Umi to be hurt in the first place. So why had things ended up this way? Was it because she was always too careless? Was it because she didn't heed Umi's advice and turn a deaf ear to her best friend's constant nagging?

Tears wrecked her entire being as the ginger haired girl continued to sob silently, her hands still clasped tightly with Umi's now cold hands as she intertwined her warm fingers with the coldness that's often associated with death.

"Maki-chan..." Kotori, who'd been quiet all these while, suddenly spoke. Unlike Honoka, the taupe haired girl was a picture of calm - outwardly of course. Her heart went all out to her childhood friend who was kneeling in front of the bluenete. She knew that Honoka had been in love with Umi since they were young but the ginger haired girl had never dared to confess. Both of them were her precious childhood friends and she never wanted to see the broken look on Honoka's face ever again. Neither did she want to see Umi in pain. And thus, she'd made a decision.

"We can...still save Umi-chan."

Honoka's eyes widened at Kotori's words, hope arising in her once again, meeting her desperate yet grateful blue orbs with Kotori's amber.

"Kotori," Maki's voice sounded strained as she sighed. "Kotori. You know that there's no way we can...save Umi." The red head bit her inner lips as she continued, "The poison has reached her heart. Her heart is...failing, so to speak. The poison is _poisoning_ the blood that flows through her circulatory system. In...an hour's time...or worse, in a few minutes time, her whole body system will begin to shut down."

Kotori's eyes hardened as a rare show of determination burned in her amber orbs. "It won't stop me from trying."

Maki resisted the urge to shake her taupe haired friend out of her stubbornness that would hurt her even more when she realised that Umi couldn't be saved.

It wasn't that she didn't want to save Umi. As a professional doctor, the red head knew that there was no hope. She badly wanted to heal Umi but it was out of her limits.

_What's the use of me being a doctor when I can't even save a good friend?_ Maki thought bitterly, gnashing her teeth with self loathe. Maybe Kotori was right. She should be trying harder. But she knew that even doctors weren't Gods that could miraculously heal someone on the brink of death.

Having heard the argument between her two friends, Honoka had a brief idea of the situation Umi was in.

_There's still a chance_, Honoka thought hopefully to herself, _no matter how slim it is. We have try. _

"K-Kotori!" Honoka stared into her childhood friend's eyes, "Thank you."

Maki was tempted to strangle some sense into her two friends. Couldn't they see that they're giving themselves false hope? If- _when_ Umi couldn't be saved, they'll only feel even worse!

Without further ado, Kotori was already by the poisoned girl's side as she closed her eyes.

_Concentrate_.

Kotori took in a deep breath and placed her shaking hands on Umi's bloodied blazer and let her healing magic course through her entire being.

Unlike Maki, Kotori was a magic-user specialized in healing magic. The red head was a legitimate doctor, and a good and famous on at that but Maki did not have any magic and hence had recruited Kotori in case there were wounds that couldn't be easily taped up with bandage and gauze. Namely, poison. Yet, despite Kotori's expertise, both the healer and the doctor knew that Umi's case was different. Healing magic did not allow one to revive the dead, or those who's fate had already been engaged by death itself.

Not that Kotori had cared.

A blue glow of aura encircled Umi's body as the taupe girl concentrated hard.

Sweat began to form at the sides of her forehead as her breaths turned shallow from the effort she had exerted. She'd managed to easily close up Umi's external wounds - the bruises, and cuts, even the broken ribs but no matter how hard she tried, she could not close up the large and unsightly gash on Umi's chest.

_Come on, Kotori. You can do this!_

She focused again, willing herself to heal the long and deep scar that seemed to be turning purple by the second.

_Come on!_

The taupe haired girl gritted her teeth, now taking short quick breaths as she strained her mind.

_Focus on trying to trace the origins of the poison, then get a feel of how fast and the direction it is traveling. _

_Trying to close up the wound doesn't help. Maybe I should trace it to where it is now and heal it in reverse? Would it even work? No, it has to work. I have to try! For both Umi-chan and Honoka-chan's sake! _

With the internal war raging inside her, Kotori continued to exude her magic.

"Kotori...chan..." Honoka whispered. She saw how her childhood friend had strained herself and was now looking a little pale. She saw that only the deep slash the monster left was still there, leaving an ugly and permanent mark. Deep down she knew. She knew that as hard as Kotori may try, as hard as she wished it wasn't true, Maki was right.

Umi's gasps have died down a little and her usual bright and strong mocha eyes were glazed over with a dull and empty look. Honoka felt her best friend's hands turned even colder.

"Kotori...chan..." The ginger haired murmured. "It's fine. You don't have to..." Honoka clenched her teeth, digging her finger nails into her left palm that wasn't holding onto Umi's hands.

Life left Kotori at Honoka's words as she slumped down, a defeated and dejected look on her face. She was close to tears and she couldn't bear to look at Honoka. She knew that if she did, she'd break down and it wouldn't be fair to Honoka. Honoka had loved Umi with her entire being.

"H...Hono...ka...Ko...to...ri..." A soft and almost inaudible voice could be heard amongst the deafening silence that ensued when Kotori finally accepted that Umi wasn't going to live to see the next hour.

"U-Umi-chan!" Honoka immediately perked up, concern filled her eyes.

"I'm...sorry..." That was what Umi could only rasp out. She was sorry that she couldn't be with them, she was sorry that she wasn't alert enough to realize that the monster was targeting Honoka and she was sorry for leaving them. Most of all, she was sorry that she didn't get to tell her childhood friends how much she appreciated them, how much she was grateful to them and how much she loved them, especially a certain special ginger haired girl.

"You...don't have to apologise, you know..." Honoka mumbled. "I should be the one apologizing. I've...failed you..."

Umi tried to shake her head but found out that she couldn't. Her whole body was numbed by the pain and she could barely breathe, neither could she summon enough strength to do so. Her vision was starting to blur and she fought hard to stay awake. She had things left unsaid and she had to say them before she couldn't. She knew she'd regret it if she didn't say it and she wanted Honoka to know.

"No..." The bluenete said, "T..Thank...you..." Umi attempted to smile, though it appeared extremely strained as her muscles failed to work.

"Umi-chan..." Honoka felt like she was about to cry again. All hope in her had been extinguished as the finality of the harsh reality set in. She was going to lose Umi. She didn't want that. She really didn't want that. But there was nothing she could do. Nothing at all.

"I...lo...love...you...Ho...no...ka..."

Those were Sonoda Umi's last words before her eyes finally closed as life slipped out of the limp body.

Maki and Kotori could only watch, their hearts breaking when Honoka threw her head up with a heart wrenching scream of despair over the loss of her beloved.

* * *

><p>AN: I love happy endings. I really do. But I just couldn't...write it. I'm terribly sorry.

It hurts to write the ever cheerful Honoka like this and to have Umi in so much pain, I have to confess. It's also my first time writing such...a painful scene so I don't know how fluid or "natural" the scene is...so pardon me if some parts looked a little out of place or weird. Go ahead, say it, I won't chew your head off. I really have to know which part looks weird.

Since my final/national examination have ended, I'll be updating (more) frequently (hopefully) while searching for a part time job.

Anyway, NozoEli is next! It'd be less depressing and more...what's the word...? Fluffy? Yea.

Till then.


	8. Chapter 8

Pairing: Nozomi X Eli

Rating: T

Chapter: _I can't stop staring_

In which Eli can't stop staring at Nozomi. And Nozomi can't stop staring at Eli.

* * *

><p>A full blown blush coloured the blonde's face as the sight before her. She couldn't help but stare at her best friend, who was now currently curled up and sleeping soundly and cutely on her bed.<p>

Purple tresses fell upon the smooth and pale features of the older girl and Eli was overwhelmed with a desire to touch Nozomi's hair, to feel the smoothness of the strands of purple that adorned her best friend's face.

Unconsciously, her right hand reached out towards the tempting purple in front of her but as her hand neared the twin tailed girl, a soft murmur halted her movements entirely as she froze.

"Mmmm...Elichi..."

Blood drained out of the taller girl's face as she paled. Was Nozomi awake? Did she perhaps sense that she was about to touch her? As Eli began to speculate wildly behind her panicked mind, a familiar and soft snore interrupted her frantic thoughts and the blonde realised with a sigh of relief that Nozomi was only sleep talking.

And then it sunk in.

Nozomi was calling out her name when she was sleeping.

Eli's face burned as she tried to cover her blushing face, as if it would reduce the redness in her face.

Her heart began thumping wildly as she continued to observe the purple haired girl.

Nozomi had now tightened her grip on the long booster, as she nuzzled further into the pillow. Eli couldn't help but think that her best friend's actions were really adorable.

_She's really cute... _Eli thought before another set of blush brightened up her face when she caught her own thoughts.

Eli knew that Nozomi loved to nap and she was prone to sneak in a nap or two during their student council days in the council room. She'd always wondered how Nozomi seemed to be able to fall asleep anywhere, anytime.

She had invited Nozomi over to her house today to study but when they'd reached Eli's home, Nozomi had immediately collapsed onto the blonde's bed and had fallen asleep while Eli went to the kitchen to get some snacks and drinks.

_Nozomi must've been really tired_...

At that thought, Eli smiled to herself as she continued to observe her friend.

A little pat couldn't hurt. Right?

With that thought in mind, the quarter Russian placed her palm on Nozomi's silky hair and before she could comprehend her own actions, she had started to run her fingers down the soft and smooth texture, stroking the purple head's hair tenderly.

A soft and pleased mewl escaped from the sleeping figure, catching Eli by surprise. The blonde decided that she liked the sound and continued to caress her, earning a few more contented mewls from the purple head.

A warmth started to grow in Eli's stomach as she fought down another impending blush.

Nozomi shifted a little and Eli immediately let her hand go, flinching a little. The movement had inadvertently caused the purple head's uniform to crumple a little, and her skirt to rise further up her bare thighs.

Eli could not stop staring.

Blood rose up her cheeks as she forced herself to look away.

_Do not look at Nozomi's thigh...do not look at Nozomi's thigh...do not look at Nozomi's thigh..._ Eli chanted fervently in her mind as she tried to pry her treacherous eyes away from the smooth thighs.

_Do not- _Eli gulped audibly as her blue eyes trailed back to the offending thigh that looked so - Eli hissed, trying to dismiss her inappropriate thoughts that seemed to keep flowing into her mind.

This was Nozomi, her best friend for heaven's sake! But the blonde just couldn't look away! And somewhere inside her mind, she'd wished that Nozomi's skirt had ridden up further. She had this huge urge to run a fingers down her best friend's -

_Stop! _

Flustered, Eli took in a shaky breath as she clenched fists tightly.

It was then a small yawn interrupted the quarter Russian's inappropriate thoughts.

"Mmmm..." Nozomi let out a yawn again as she sat up on her shin, rubbing her blurry eyes.

Eli almost gasped at how adorable her friend's actions were as she stared at the purplelete.

Nozomi's hair was a little messy - not surprising considering that she was lying on the bed, asleep just now. However, Eli found that the bed hair that Nozomi spotted was also pretty cute.

However, Nozomi hadn't realized that her uniform had moved slightly, and a few buttons have been undone, revealing the top part of her cleavage. Her skirt was also crumpled, high up against her thighs.

Now, Eli couldn't even breathe as her face flushed brightly, her eyes had unconsciously travelled from the exposed cleavage to Nozomi's thighs, a million of inappropriate thoughts invading and assaulting her mind.

"Elichi...?" The purple head tilted her head as she shot a the blonde a confused look. "What's wrong?"

_C-Cute...Too cute...and se- _

Eli bit her inner lips, as her face turned 20 shades darker.

Suddenly, she stood up.

"I-I'm going to get more snacks!" Eli said hurriedly as she practically bolted out of the room, her cheeks flaming hot.

"But...we haven't started on the snacks yet..." Nozomi's voice trailed off as she watched her best friend run out of the room.

_What's wrong with Elichi...? I wonder if something happened..._

Not understanding why Eli was so red in her face, the purple head finally shrugged as she ran her fingers down her purple locks. Holding back another yawn, the purple haired girl looked down, saw the state of her uniform, and immediately blushed as understanding and realization finally sank in.

_Elichi was...looking at my..._

Nozomi refused to finish the thought as her face continued to burn.

* * *

><p>Nozomi couldn't stop staring.<p>

Eli was sprawled on the same bed she had been sleeping on just now. The blonde yawned as she tried to fight a losing battle but within a few moments, her eyes finally closed as she fell into a deep slumber.

A smile crept up the purple head's face as she started to pat the quarter Russian.

_Elichi looks so adorable when she's asleep... She looks so peaceful and innocent, free from all worries in the world.._. Nozomi's thoughts trailed off as she brushed her fingers over the blonde's fringe.

They had been studying for approximately three hours when Nozomi had noticed that Eli was yawning every few minutes. Hence, she had persuaded her best friend to take a short nap before continuing. Of course, the blonde had been stubborn and insisted that she could continue and she should not slack off but once Nozomi had given her a sharp look and had threatened to carry the blonde to her bed instead, Eli had finally relented, not without grumbling something in Russian.

Nozomi had taken the luxury to observe her best friend as the blonde slept and figured that while the action may sound and look creepy, it was still fine since no one was around.

She loved looking at Eli. Whether she was doing her work seriously, or dancing during idol practices, or talking to her and their friends, and especially when the blonde was embarrassed, Nozomi liked to see the expressions on Eli's face. Even when Eli was angry or irritated, she thought it was pretty cute too. Not that she would ever mention it to her best friend. After all, she wouldn't want to come off as a creepy stalker. Not that she wasn't one. But still.

It was an understatement to say that Nozomi was attracted to her best friend. The purple head was in love with the blonde. Besides her beauty, Nozomi had taken a real liking to Eli's strong personality - her stubbornness, awkwardness, seriousness, as well as the kind and compassionate side to her.

Sighing, the purple head continues playing with the blonde tresses and muttered longingly, "Elichi...I love you..."

Eli suddenly stirred in her sleep and Nozomi almost flinched.

"Nozo...mi...mmm..." A soft sound came from the sleeping girl and Nozomi couldn't help the blush on her face when Eli has unconsciously muttered her name when she was asleep.

_Elichi...I wonder what Elichi is dreaming of now... _

Come to think of it, she was dreaming about Eli just now. She couldn't remember what the dream was about but she could vaguely recall that she was with Eli.

Sighing yet again, Nozomi's fingers moved from Eli's fringe and her thumb brush over Eli's smooth cheeks before touching the small pink supple lips.

_I wonder how it tastes like..._

Before she gave in to her own desires, the purple head removed her hands from the sleeping beauty in front of her and leaned against the side of the bed.

_I wonder if I'll ever find the courage to convey my feelings to Elichi..._

With that thought in mind, the purple haired girl sighed as she closed her eye.

Minutes later, the purple haired girl was also asleep, though one of her hands have unconsciously reached out to the sleeping blonde's, clasped tightly together, as the two third years slept the rest of the evening away in peace.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **

**Review Replies:**

magasaurus: Thank you~ \(^.^)/

Guest: NozoEli it is!

Y07: Thank you~ Hope that I didn't disappoint you!

Major Mike Powell III: Hahaha, I thought it was pretty strange to see you reviewing the first chapter since I figured you would either review the latest chapter, or if not every chapter (as you are prone to doing (yes, i'm stalking you. okay, i'm joking) ) BUT thanks for reviewing! :) My heart was breaking when I wrote the last chapter. Umi is one of my favourite characters after all. (really!) You know...I've never thought of them being in an RPG before...hmm...that's an idea for consideration... and yep, the NozoEli is less tragic. And as for your prompt...wow. Sure, I'll be able to do the HonoEli! You have to be a 'lil patient though, since there are other requests.

Enya Talisman: I better start hiding before come for my life...ahem. That aside, I'm really sorry for doing that to Umi (she is one of my favourite characters after all). KotoMaki? That's an interesting pair, sure! :)

ihavenoidea: KotoMaki is a rare ship indeed. I'll keep the ship afloat in one of my updates! (meaning yes, i accept KotoMaki)

* * *

><p>Next up: HonoNozo!<p> 


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N:**

**Review: Replies:**

aguslay: Thank you! And sure! I sure do hope I won't disappoint you! :)

Candus98: Don't worry, I'm not killing them :) I think I'll take a long break from killing characters now.

Major Mike Powell III: Once again, thank you for the review! The founding "Father" and "Mother" of Muse indeed! I suppose Honoka's the father? Hehe. On another note, I hope I won't disappoint you with this chapter. I'm trying to make it as diabetic inducing as possible XD

Y07: Thanks~! And I hope you'll enjoy this chapter too!

ihavenoidea: You know...it just occurred to me that it could have been "purplenette" instead...

Guest: Once again, Thank you!

Dash24zappshift: Hope I haven't kept you waiting for too long! :)

Enya Talisman: Yes, they would probably do so once they've reached their limit XD Hahaha, I'll come out of hiding then. And I hope this chapter is to your liking too! :)

YagamiShura: Thank You! And I'll probably do another NicoMaki when I have the right inspiration, til then, please bear with me! :)

* * *

><p>Pairing: Honoka X Nozomi<p>

Rating: K+

Chapter: An unexpected visitor

In which Honoka visits Nozomi.

* * *

><p>Honoka now stood outside of a certain purple haired girl's door, a box of Homura's manjuu grasped tightly in her right hand. Her mother had sent her on a delivery – to be exact, her mother had wanted her to deliver a box of their shop's special manjuu to Nozomi as thanks since the purple head had helped out sometimes when she came over to Honoka's house during her student council days.<p>

While the ginger haired girl stood at her senior's door, her heart was beating quickly for reasons unknown to her and she hesitated to knock on the door.

_It's just Nozomi-chan's house. Why am I so…nervous?_

Shaking her head internally, Honoka gathered up her courage and knocked on the wooden door, twice. She waited for several moments in silence.

No answer.

_Is Nozomi-chan not at home today?_ Honoka thought to herself. After all, it was a Sunday. Perhaps Nozomi was out?

_I should've called before I came… _Honoka sighed, lamenting the fact that she didn't think to do such an obvious thing.

For some reason, a tinge of disappointment coursed through her body. _I shouldn't be surprised that Nozomi-chan isn't at home today…yet…_

Sighing again, the ginger head was about to turn around and head back home when she heard shuffling sounds coming from the inside apartment door.

Ears perking, the ginger haired girl halted in her steps and turned back to the door.

Seconds later, the door opened slowly and a head peeped out.

"H-Hi…Nozomi-chan…" Honoka greeted her senior with a smile.

Upon closer inspection, the younger girl realised that there seemed to be a cloth of some sort – blanket she guessed – draped over the purple haired girl's head.

"…Hi…Honoka…chan…" the girl behind the door croaked out. "…please do come in…" Nozomi continued hoarsely before opening the door wider, revealing her hunched figure that was wrapped with a large cream coloured blanket. She seemed to be shivering, holding onto the blanket tightly. Her hair that was normally done up in pig tails was slightly dishevelled as the long locks of purple hid underneath the huge blanket.

If not for the fact that her friend had looked so disoriented and haggard, Honoka would've joked that about how the older girl looked like a wrap.

The purple haired girl's face was also flushed red and concerned for her friend, Honoka immediately asked, "Nozomi-chan? Are you alright?"

"…I'm fine…just…a little si– " Before the older girl could finish her sentence, her legs buckled and she would've collapsed onto the ground if not for Honoka's quick reflexes.

"N-Nozomi-chan!" Honoka rushed forward and caught the falling girl who was shivering badly and gasping shallowly in her arms. _Don't tell me…Nozomi-chan's sick? No wonder it took her so long to open the door. But…why isn't anyone else at home to look after her?_

Honoka immediately placed her palm over Nozomi's forehead and flinched at the hotness.

"You're burning up!" Honoka exclaimed anxiously. She had to get the older girl back to her room and make her rest.

"I-I'm sorry…" the purple haired girl breathed out unevenly.

"Why are you apologising for?!" the ginger haired girl supported her senior up and escorted her back into the apartment while the purple haired girl leaned her weight against the ginger haired girl.

"C'mon, let me bring you back to your room," Honoka decided, leading the older girl back into her own room.

"…Thank you…" came the soft voice beside her.

Once inside Nozomi's room, the ginger head placed the older girl gently onto the bed and tucked her in, and warned the older girl to stay put before heading off to search for a small towel and a small bucket of water.

When she returned to Nozomi's room, she found the purple haired girl already asleep, snoring lightly, with a slightly pained look on her face. The second year's heart lurched at the sight as she soaked the white towel with cool water and after twisting it three quarters dry, she folded the towel and put it gently on top of Nozomi's forehead, hoping that it would at least cool the rising temperature.

However, it seemed that the action had woken the older girl up and Nozomi gave a slight smile before saying, "I'm sorry you had to end up taking care of me, Honoka-chan."

Honoka shook her head, "We're friends right? It's the least I could do. After all, Nozomi-chan is like our mother, often taking care of Muse, as if we're all your children."

"Hm? If I'm the 'Mother', than you must be the 'Father' then, since you're the one who started Muse." Nozomi teased. It seemed that despite being ill, Nozomi was still able to joke around.

"W-Wha– " A slight blush worked its way up onto Honoka's cheeks at the implication and that earned a small giggle from the older girl. However, seconds later, Nozomi started to cough terribly and the ginger head immediately jumped forward and patted her senior's back, rubbing her hands against her back soothingly, trying to quell her coughing fit.

"Thank you," Nozomi managed to say weakly. Maybe she shouldn't have teased Honoka. Karma's a real pain sometimes.

"You're most welcome," Honoka offered a smile.

"Hey…Nozomi-chan…" Honoka inquired once she made sure that the purple haired senior was comfortable, "Have you called your parents?"

A shake of a head from the girl under the covers answered the ginger head. Unsure if she should be prying but wanting to know why, Honoka said softly, "Why not?"

Nozomi stayed silent and Honoka was about to change the subject, figuring that perhaps the older girl didn't want to answer the question when Nozomi mumbled, "They aren't here. Last I checked, they're in Hokkaido."

Surprised, Honoka could only nod and she immediately felt bad for asking. After all, Nozomi must be missing her parents since they were separated for so long. Honoka couldn't imagine living apart from her parents for such long periods of time, or living alone for that matter.

"What about Eli-chan? You should've called her or something. It's dangerous for a sick patient to be home alone with no one to look after you."

"…I'm used to it. I'll be fine if I just sleep the fever off. And…I didn't want to worry Elichi. She was supposed to be spending time with her sister since it's Alisa's birthday today." Nozomi explained with a slight shrug.

"Nozomi-chan..." Honoka mumbled before she continued, "As expected of Nozomi-chan. You're so thoughtful."

"I-I'm not-" Nozomi was about deny as her cheeks heated up at the compliment.

"Aw, Nozomi-chan's embarassed!" It was Honoka's turn to tease the older girl, causing the purple haired girl to look away bashfully.

At that sight before her, Honoka's heart skipped a beat._ C-Cute... Nozomi-chan looks so cute all shy and embarrassed like that..._

It wasn't often Honoka got to see this side of her senior and she made sure to capture this moment and imprint it in her mind.

It was a refreshing change from Nozomi's usual teasing self and Honoka alluded the purple haired girl's uncharacteristic behaviour to her being sick.

"Do you have any medication at home that you could take?" Honoka asked. She would also offer to cook for the older girl but unfortunately, her culinary skills were only limited to sweets and it didn't seem right to feed an ill person with sweets.

"Yea, it's in the top left cabinet in the kitchen..."

"I'll be back," Honoka said as she left the room.

Nozomi could only stare at the retreating figure as a sense of unease tugged at the edge of her heart. She knew that she was just overreacting yet she didn't like the fact that the ginger haired girl was leaving her alone in the room. It felt as if her friend was going to leave her and never come back and she didn't like that.

Trying to shake such thoughts away from her mind, the purple haired girl wondered about the growing warmth inside her.

To be honest, although Nozomi never really wanted to bother anyone, she was glad that Honoka was here now. She'd felt extremely terrible before Honoka and visited her - she was really cold and couldn't summon enough energy to fix some food for herself. It had taken all she had to drag herself off the bed to open the door. Even then, she'd considered not opening the door, letting her visitor think that she wasn't at home but she didn't want to be impolite and rude.

It was then Honoka returned with a glass of warm water and some cold medicine. At the sight of Honoka, inwardly, Nozomi sighed with relief.

"Here, Nozomi-chan," the ginger haired girl handed a pill and the glass of water to the other girl gently. She'd seen the look of relief when she entered the room and wasn't sure what to make of it. Was Nozomi glad that she's going to have medication soon or was she glad to see her again? Honoka hoped it was the latter.

"Thank you, Honoka-chan..."

With that, Nozomi sat up on her bed, popping a pill into her mouth before swallowing it with a gulp of water.

Unfortunately, at that moment, a violent cough shook her entire body and the older girl ended up choking, as her body convulsed into a coughing seizure.

"N-Nozomi-chan!" Honoka immediately panicked as she tried to pat Nozomi's back, urging her to drink the water that she was holding to quell the cough and to fully swallow the pill. However, Nozomi didn't seem to be able to hear the younger girl a free hand reached for her own throat as she continued to wheeze and gasp, the glass of water in her hand was shaking too, the water close to spilling over.

_This is bad...what should I do? Oh god, what should I -_

A thought suddenly crossed the ginger head's mind as she eyed the glass of water that was shaking in Nozomi's hand.

_I'm sorry, Nozomi-chan..._

Mentally apologising to the purple head, Honoka wasted no time as she snatched the glass of water from Nozomi's hands and sucked in a mouthful of water. Immediately, she proceeded to press her mouth against Nozomi's lips.

Nozomi's eyes widened as the pressure of Honoka's lips caused her mouth to gape open and before she could comprehend what was happening, water was being forced into her mouth and instinctively, she swallowed, causing the pill to travel smoothly down her throat.

Honoka then pulled away, her face flushed as she gasped lightly, trying to catch her breath as her blue orbs stared into the glazed set of turquoise in front of her.

_H-Honoka just...k-kissed...me..._

Nozomi's mind started to whirl as she moved the tips of her index finger towards her mouth and her face started to burn hotly.

"I-I'm so sorry, Nozomi-chan! I...had to make you drink the water to swallow the pill- "

"...My...first...you took my first..." Nozomi could only mutter dazedly as she placed her palm towards her temple, still in a slight state of bewilderment.

"Like I said, I'm so so- oh shoot. T-That was your first kiss?! I'm so so sorry!" Honoka started to panic. Of course, why didn't she think how Nozomi would react to the kiss?! Then again, why did she even decide to use this method?! What if Nozomi got angry and never wanted to be her friend again? Well, it was also her first kiss too but...oh lord. What had she done?

"I..." The purple haired senior was confused. She knew that Honoka meant not harm and was trying her best to help her lest she choked to death. But she wasn't angry or even the slightest disgusted at the action. In fact, she couldn't stop thinking about the taste of Honoka's strawberry lip balm. That was what had confused her.

Maybe it was her fever that caused her to act out of character. But whatever Nozomi did next was totally out of her control as she pulled Honoka towards her and before the younger girl could say anything, Nozomi crushed her lips against Honoka's sweet and pink lips.

Seconds later, she removed herself from the ginger haired girl - it was her turn to look at Nozomi dazedly as the purple haired girl licked her lips in satisfaction.

"That was delicious~ Thanks for the meal~"

Honoka's face almost combust from Nozomi's playful words. She tried to open her mouth to say something, _anything,_ but found that she couldn't.

Chuckling slightly, the older girl has already felt much better and out of the blue, a question crossed her mind. "So, remind me again, Honoka-chan. Why are you visiting me in the first place?"

That seemed to snap Honoka out of her dazed state as she gasped out loud. "The box of manjuu! I left it at the door!" Before Nozomi could even question her, the second year had already leapt out of the room, in search of the box of Homura's manjuu that she was supposed to give Nozomi.

* * *

><p>AN: This didn't really turn out the way I had initially planned. Hopefully I don't disappoint with this chapter though *_*


	10. Chapter 10

A/N:

**Review Replies**:

Enya Talisman: Thank you, once again~ The manjuu was actually meant to be the mood-killer XD

KevinCruelz: Hahaha thanks! But I really do think that Honoka has the potential to be the group's harem queen! :D

pinguo: Sure, that has to wait til I finish the other requested pairings though. Sorry and thanks for your understanding!

Candus98: Blind date? O_O you've opened up a whole new bag of ideas in me. Hm...

aguslay: Thank you! ^o^

* * *

><p>Pairing: Rin X Hanayo<p>

Rating: K+

Chapter: _Does rice taste that good?_

In which Rin watches Hanayo eat rice

* * *

><p>No matter how many times Rin watched her childhood friend gobble down a bowl of rice, she would never fail to notice the look of utter delight on Hanayo's face.<p>

Eyes closed, reveling in the feel and the taste of the softness and stickiness of the rice, the brunette's lips were pursed into a contented curl as she made a hum of contentment, enjoying the blissful moment of eating a piping hot bowl of rice that she'd taken meticulous measures to make.

She'd seen the look on Hanayo's face many times - too many to count, in fact. But it never failed to amaze her, and the expression on Hanayo's face often held her captive. Rin was never the one who was able to hold her attention to something for long due to her restless and hyper nature, yet when it came to her childhood friend, she couldn't stop staring and was utterly and magically enraptured by the sight before her.

"Rin-chan?" Hanayo finally noticed the dazed look that the orange haired girl after she'd swallowed the last bits of her home made rice.

"E-Eh..?" Rin immediately snapped out of her daze with a start at the sound of Hanayo's voice.

"What's wrong, Rin-chan? You've been staring at me for quite some time..." The soft spoken girl inquired with a tilt of her head.

"N-Nothing nya! Nothing that Kayo-chin should be worried about!" Rin hastily denied with a wry smile on her face.

"Is that so..." Hanayo trailed off, though still unconvinced. But if Rin really didn't want to say anything, then the brunette would not probe further despite being concerned for her friend.

"Hey, Kayo-chin..."

"Hm?"

"What's so delicious about rice nya?"

Rin was curious. After all, she herself couldn't understand why her childhood friend seemed to like rice so much. She also couldn't understand how rice could make the brunette sport such a blissful look and she wanted to understand why and how. And perhaps she could also make Hanayo sport such a look since the brunette looked extremely cute then.

"Rin-chan...!" Hanayo eyes began to sparkle as a determined look burned in her purple eyes.

"White rice is delicious! Just look at its soft and fluffy texture! It can only be achieved with precision and practice - the amount of water and rice used has to be measured accurately. And look at how white it is~ The pure whiteness of it adds on to the flavour! The fluffiness and stickiness done right would melt into your mouth, and as you savour the - "

A sudden pressure on her lips interrupted her rant and purple orbs widened in surprise as a pair of chartreuse eyes stared back at her.

"R-Rin-chan...?!"

"Kayo-chin has a grain of rice on her lips..." Rin's voice was unusually deep and husky as she licked the grain of white rice off Hanayo's small lips. She then removed herself from her childhood friend as she swallowed that grain of rice.

"Delicious..." She muttered softly. However, Hanayo seemed to have heard it and her face immediately burst into flames.

Her face felt hot, and her head was spinning. Did Rin, her childhood friend, just -

Meanwhile, Rin's mind was in turmoil. After removing herself from the brunette, she realised what she had done and she was now extremely flustered. She didn't know what came over her but when Hanayo was continuing on and on about how awesome white rice was, she felt an irrational twitch of irritation. She had no reason to feel...jealous yet she was. It was laughable really. She was actually jealous of white rice! She didn't like the fact that Hanayo was going on about how wonderful white rice was (even though she was the one who asked - but hey, humans were complex creatures) and she had wished that Hanayo was talking about her in such an enthusiastic manner.

She had tried to tune out the brunette's voice yet she couldn't as Hanayo's sweet and high pitched voice had drawn her in like a Siren. It was than she noticed a grain of white rice that was on the other girl's lips and without thinking had licked it off Hanayo's lips, and that had also effectively shut her worship of white rice up.

Silence ensued as the two childhood friends stared at each other, the tension in the air becoming increasingly awkward.

Rin was still trying to comprehend her actions, and was failing badly in trying to come up with a reasonable explanation for her irrational thoughts and behaviour. She had always acted without thinking and this was no different.

Hanayo on the other hand, was still blushing as she tried to understand her best friend's actions. Had she seriously done that only to remove the grain of rice? If so, why did she say 'delicious'? And if not, what did Rin meant?

The sight of Hanayo blushing had stirred something inside the orange head. The taste of Hanayo's lips was still stuck in her mind and the other girl's flushed faces added fuel to the fire burning within her.

"R-Rin...chan..." Hanayo took the plunge of courage by breaking the silence first. However, before she could continue, a creak of the door interrupted them.

The figure at the door frowned at the sight before her. Hanayo was sitting on her bed, face extremely red and a shy expression that the red head had not seen for quite some time after she joined Muse was on her face.

Rin was similarly red faced, though her face was contorted into one of extreme confusion as she sat on the floor.

It looked like she'd came in at the wrong time. The red head thought as she shot a glance at Hanayo, who immediately looked away, unable to meet her eyes. Sighing inwardly, she turned to Rin who didn't even seem to notice her.

"...I'll be back later. Sorry to... interrupt..." Maki finally spoke to the empty and tensed silence in the room as she left. Whatever had happened was none of her business though she was mildly curious due to the unusual expressions on her two friends' face. But whatever it was, she hoped that they would resolve it soon. If not, she could forget about going back in and continue with her homework.

Back in the room, Hanayo's heart had almost stopped when Maki had entered the room. But when the red haired girl had left, her heart was pounding erratically against her chest. She swallowed, trying to piece her thoughts back together.

"Rin...chan..." Hanayo began. For the love of rice, what was she even supposed to say?! She started to panic as her palms started to turn clammy from nervousness.

Fortunately, she was saved by the very person that made her speechless.

"I'm...sorry, Kayo-chin..." Rin spoke out, visibly deflating as her whole body hunched forward. That very sight made Hanayo's heart ache and she badly wanted to comfort the orange haired girl somehow.

"Rin likes Kayo-chin a lot. Like a lot, a lot. So much that it hurts. And Rin acted without thinking. Rin didn't like how you talked about white rice as if it was your life...and somewhere in between...Rin- I-I got sort of jealous I guess and acted rashly...since I thought Kayo-chin didn't like me as much as white rice..."

Hanayo was rendered speechless. She didn't think that Rin was jealous of her love for white rice. Although the idea sounded ridiculous to many, Hanayo was only surprised at her friend's feelings. Speaking of feelings, did Rin just...confessed to her..? It was a confession right...?

"Kayo-chin..."

"R-Rin-chan! You're cute!" Hanayo blurted out without thinking.

"E-Eh?!"

"I-I mean I like you too! Rin-chan, I like you! No one can take your place! Not even white rice, as much as I love them! So...Rin-chan...don't be sorry." Hanayo burst out as she stared intensely and genuinely at the cat-like girl in front of her.

"Nya!"

"E-Eh? R-Rin-chan?!" Hanayo squealed as a ball of orange suddenly pounced into girl, the force knocking her down onto the bed.

"Kayo-chin~" Rin mewled as she rubbed her face against Hanayo's cheek. "I love you nya~"

Smiling brightly, Hanayo returned the embrace and answered the girl on top of her softly.

"I love you too, Rin-chan."

Outside Hanayo's room, a certain red head couldn't help the smile that crept up her lips as she continued leaning against the wall next to the door. She was curious after all, especially when it concerned her two good (and adorable) friends, thus she'd stayed behind to eavesdrop a little. She figured it wouldn't hurt since she was really concerned about her two friends.

"I'm glad, Hanayo, Rin." Maki whispered softly as she walked away, giving the couple some time alone.

* * *

><p>AN: If Hanayo's involved, there has to be the inclusion of rice! This chapter feels a little short but hopefully it is still as satisfying as the other chapters. :) Once again, a huge thanks to those who have favourited/followed/reviewed this fanfic! I know Rin and Pana aren't the most popular characters in Love Live! but c'mon, those two first years are extremely adorable!


	11. Chapter 11

Pairing: Nozomi X Nico

Rating: T

Chapter:_ Spending the Saturday with Nico-cchi_.

In which Nozomi is having a field day tutoring Nico much to the latter's chagrin.

* * *

><p>"N-Nico Nico Nii~" a certain petite third year chanted with a nervous smile on her face as she did her signature "Nico Nico Smile" hand sign.<p>

Unimpressed, the taller girl in front of Nico gave the raven haired girl a drool stare before swiping out a tarot card from her deck at the desk.

"Nico-cchi." The purple haired girl simply stated, her voice seeming calm and serious as she flipped the card, showing Nico an image of a reversed tower.

"W-Well...no need to be so serious, Nozomi. C'mon lets do the cheer together. Nico Nico N-"

"Nico-cchi." The purple head's voice hardened.

"Ugh..."

"Nico-cchi." Third time's the charm as the twin tailed girl finally sighed as her whole shoulders slouched in defeat.

"Alright. I'm sorry, I'll get back to work..." Nico said reluctantly as she returned to the offensive scribbles of mathematical formulas glaring from her notebook. Seriously, what was the point in learning math? It wasn't as if you would be using differentiation or integration to calculate how much money you need to pay for your food.

"Good girl." Nozomi grinned as she flipped the math textbook back to the page they'd stopped before.

"Now, for question 5 -"

"Hey, Nozomi..." Nico interrupted her "teacher" for the afternoon.

"What is it?" The purple haired girl frowned, wondering if Nico was trying to come up with another excuse to skip out on revising her most hated and unfortunately worst subject - mathematics.

"...Why are you doing this? I mean, it's a Saturday! You could've stayed at home and relax, or spend time with your family...or even go to the shrine you love so much or even hang out with Eli or your friends!" The raven haired girl spoke out. "...instead you're stuck here with an unwilling student who keeps getting on your nerves."

"You're calling yourself annoying, you know that?" Nozomi pointed out.

"T-That's besides the point! Just answer my question!" Nico growled as a twitch of irritation pricked her.

"Calm down, Nico-cchi. Why are you getting so worked up for? I'm here of my own free will after all."

"Not me. I'm not here voluntarily..." Nico grumbled under her breath.

"I heard that." The pig tailed girl shot a pointed look at the smaller girl and raised her hands into made a grasping action. "I'm here in your house trying to tutor you so that you could at least pass the finals and yet you aren't the slightest grateful about it...you wound me, Nico-cchi."

The raven haired girl blanched at the hand gesture and immediately retorted, "I-It's not like I'm not grateful or anything! I mean...I'm just saying that this doesn't sit right with me! You have no obligations to help me. You should enjoy your weekends instead!" Nico clenched her fists as she looked away from the other girl. In fact, she was far from being ungrateful. She was glad, really glad that Nozomi had actually wanted to help someone like her but she didn't understand why the older girl would do so. Didn't she prefer to spend time with her family or friends instead?

Before Nico could continue her argument, a familiar and uncomfortable pressure gripped her clothed chest and she yelped.

"A-Agh! N-Nozomi! S-Stop!" Nico cried out when the purple head had grasped her breasts and gave it a hard squeeze.

Nozomi finally let go and huffed. "That should teach you not to try to distract me so that you can get out of Math."

"W-What?! You thought that was a trick?!" Nico looked insulted as she crossed her arms, and for a second, Nozomi thought she saw a look of hurt flashed across her face.

Nozomi immediately regretted her words but before she could open her mouth to apologise, Nico had cut in. "You know what, Never mind. Here I am feeling guilty that I'd perhaps taken up your free day that you may prefer to spend time with your family or friends...but you know what, never mind. I'll go back to math."

Nozomi was shocked. Nico was actually guilty? She certainly hadn't expected that. She knew that she'd misjudged the petite girl and before she could stop herself, she mumbled, "But Nico-cchi's my friend too."

"Huh?" Nico dropped the pencil she was holding and stared at Nozomi as if she'd grown another head.

"I said that you're my friend too. You asked why am I spending time here with you instead of my...'family and friends'... Aren't you my friend?"

Nico was speechless, as her eyes widened in surprise, her mouth was gaped open. A slight blush tinted her face at Nozomi's words. _S-She called me her friend... Well...we are friends...especially since we are in Muse..._

"Y-Yeah...! Yeah, you are!" Nico stammered out an answer, extremely flustered. "O-Of course you are the great idol, Nico's friend! You should be glad that you're even allowed here!"

Nozomi chuckled at the sight before her, Nico was just too cute when she was embarrassed like this.

"W-What are you laughing at?!" Nico demanded, still red faced.

"Nothing~ Just thought that Nico-cchi looked really cute and adorable when she's blushing and embarrassed~"

Nico only blushed further as she sputtered out incoherently, "W-Wha... W- I mean... Why- H-How...can you...I mean... Ugh!"

Nozomi only giggled more before her expression turned serious and the mirth in her turquoise eyes was extinguished.

Nico immediately noticed the change in Nozomi but hesitated to say anything as she waited for the purple haired to say something.

"...well...it's not as if I could spend time with my family. Last I checked, they seemed to be in Kyoto... The shrine gave me a day off today too..."

"Nozomi..." Nico breathed out. She didn't know. She didn't know that Nozomi's parents weren't staying with her. Maybe Nozomi didn't want to spend her Saturday alone. Somehow, the thought that Nozomi had chosen her to spend her time with her out of so many people had caused a mysterious warmth to grow inside her. Despite her mature exterior, perhaps Nozomi was lonely after all, and just like any other human being, she wanted company.

"...and I figured what better way to spend my Saturday but with the group's mascot?" Nozomi grinned, already back to her usual teasing self.

_I take that back_. Nico scowled.

"Besides, you need help with your studies don't you?" Nozomi smirked, "If you want to graduate that is."

The raven haired girl muttered something intangible under her breath as she turned away from the purple haired girl and went back to her math problem.

"...and the answer to question 5 is...?" Nozomi inquired as she leaned against the side of Nico bright pink bed, hugging a red heart shaped pillow she'd found randomly on the floor.

At the make shift desk, Nico cringed. How on earth was she supposed to answer a math problem that she didn't understand? What the hell was an asymptote anyway? It looked like she had to resort to...

"N-Nico Nico-"

Nico was rudely interrupted by another one of Nozomi's breast rub and instinctively she screamed out in fear.

"Nico-cchi..." Nozomi's voice was borderline on threatening.

"I'm sorry!" The petite girl squeaked out.

And that went on for three more hours before Nozomi finally call it a day, taking pity on the smaller girl who seemed to be squeezed dry and was left exhausted after long hours of math.

Yawning, the purple haired girl said, "Nico-cchi...if you don't mind, lend me your bed for a while."

"Huh?"

"I'm kinda...slee...py..." Nozomi yawned again and before Nico could protest, Nozomi was already knocked out as she plopped onto the bed a split second after the last word left her mouth.

"Sheesh. Such a troublesome girl..." Nico shook her head with a sigh before trying to push the older girl into a more comfortable position on her bed.

She went back to her make shift desk and started to pack her things. Once she was done, she looked over to the pig tailed girl who was now snoring lightly, a small smile plastered on her sleeping face.

_Nozomi looks so peaceful when she's asleep. Very much unlike her usual teasing and playful self._ Nico thought as she smiled at the sight before her

Noting that it was around 4 in the evening, Nico let out a yawn and went to join her friend on her bed. It was her bed after all. She doubted Nozomi would mind that she was sleeping next to her. Besides, she was also extremely tired. The worst that could happen was facing Nozomi's endless teasing when she woke up. But she could deal with that. Probably.

Letting another another large yawn, the petite girl snuggled up next to the older girl as she slowly drifted off, her hands unconsciously sought for the larger source of warmth by wrapping itself around Nozomi's waist.

* * *

><p>The door creaked open slightly, revealing an older version of Nico - Nico's mother. At the sight of her daughter sleeping soundly next to her friend, she chuckled lightly, a broad smile on her face. She was about to leave her daughter's room when an idea crossed her mind. Reaching for the side pocket of her blazer, she took out a slick phone and grinning to herself, she snapped a picture of the adorable sight before her and left the room quietly. She'd have to grill her daughter about her friend later during dinner time, she thought.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Review replies:<strong>

Dash24zappshift: Thank you~ :)

ihavenoidea: Hmm...Erena and Eri huh? Sounds pretty interesting. I could give it a try :) and it's okay, the point of writing this particular fic was to see what kind of pairings other love livers or fans may like other than the conventional ones such as NicoMaki, NozoEli, KotoUmi and RinPana (though i do like these conventional pairing especially KotoUmi and NozoEli, and RinPana is just absolutely adorable) Kotori X Anju sounds interesting too. Frankly speaking, I've never thought of it. Hmmm...

Enya Talisman: Hahaha, I'm quite confident that Hanayo would choose the Rin plushie. Hey, why not a Rin plushie that is holding onto a bowl of rice? (best of both worlds)

Major Mike Powell III: Thank you! And I'm glad that I'm not the only one who understands the high level of cuteness that exudes out from RinPana! They are also diabetic inducing! XD Man, at this rate you have to see both the dentist and the doctor, Major.

Y07: Thanks~ :D Glad that you think that the chapter was adorable ;)

* * *

><p>Between you and me, I think Nozomi likes to rub girls' boobs 'coz she feels deprived since Eli never lets her touch her boobs. -ahem- that aside, next up is...<p>

Rin X Maki, followed by Honoka X Maki

till then~


	12. Chapter 12

Pairing: Rin X Maki

Rating: K+

Chapter:_ It'd be a waste of your pretty face _

High school AU: In which Rin is in track and field and Maki is Rin's roommate.

* * *

><p>"M-Maki-chan! Look out-!" A familiar voice yelled, causing the unsuspecting red haired girl to halt in her steps as she whirled around, wondering what was wrong. However, as soon as she spun around, a ball of orange entered her field of vision just as a force sent her crashing into the ground. She grunted in pain as irritation set in.<p>

"W-Wha-"

A groan interrupted her and Maki immediately turned to the source of the groan.

_Rin?!_

A pained gasp escaped from the orange haired girl and soon after, she started to cough uncontrollably, clutching her side.

"R-Rin!" The gear in Maki's head started to work again as she immediately crawled over to check her friend's condition, worry for her roommate had overridden her irritation of being pushed to the ground.

"H-Hey, Rin!" The red haired girl was borderline on panic, as her mind spun, trying to process what had happened. Was Rin the one who tackled her? If so why? Maki scanned the area quickly and discovered a softball rolling to a stop near them.

When realization dawned upon her - that Rin was the one screaming at her to look out and she had probably gotten hit by the softball while trying to save her - tears brimmed at the edge of her eyes.

_Stupid Rin. You big idiot! Why did you have to do that?! _

Gritting her teeth, Maki tried to swing Rin's arms over her shoulders and without wasting another single second, she carried the half-conscious girl to the school's infirmary, as fast as her legs could carry her.

"Ma...ki...chan..." A soft murmur from the short haired girl. "I'm sorry...are... you...hurt?"

"What are you talking about?! You're the one who's hurt!" Maki exclaimed.

"But...I'm the one who knocked you onto the ground. Are you injured...?"

_She's asking me if I'm injured? _Maki thought incredulously. She's the_ one who's more injured! _

Although the fact that Rin had worried about her despite her being in a worser condition had warmed Maki's heart, she couldn't help but feel guilty for the orange head's state. After all, it was her fault that Rin had ended up this way.

"I'm fine!" The red head said, "You should be more concerned for yourself. You took a direct hit from the ball right?"

A faint nod against her neck could be felt and before Maki could continue, Rin was already unconscious as her head hung over the crook of her neck. Unfortunately, she could feel Rin breathing slightly against her skin and that had sent shivers down her spine as her face started to heat up considerably. _Get a grip on yourself, Maki!_

Maki could also feel the curious stares along the hallway and that made her extremely uncomfortable as she tried her best to ignore the stares from her schoolmates while she made her way to the infirmary.

Upon seeing Maki carrying an unconscious Rin, the purple haired nurse immediately snapped into action as she ordered the red haired girl to put the unconscious girl on the bed. While she fussed over Rin, the nurse asked the red head who was now sitting on the nurse's chair, hugging her knees, "So, Nishikino, what happened?"

Maki sighed. "I was walking back to the dorms...and when I was passing by the field, a soft ball seemed to be flying in my way and..." She clenched her fists as she sucked in a breath. "...Rin had pushed me away and taken the hit instead..."

The nurse nodded. "Hoshizora must've cared a lot for you. To go as far as to push you out of the way and taken the hit for you instead... Well, she's brave but..."

"But stupid." Maki half growled.

Noting that Maki's anger was probably directed at herself and not really at her roommate, the nurse chuckled. "...foolish but adorable and heroic at the same time. Don't you agree, Nishikino?"

Maki said nothing and the older woman knew that she was spot on. She'd always found the relationship between these two roommates interesting. Though it was obvious that the two cared about each other, Rin was often more direct about it while Maki seemed to be more reserved and often refused to admit that she actually cared for the orange head, much more than she let on. Not that it ever fazed Rin.

Rin also seemed to understand Maki really well. That was what the nurse had gathered while watching the two interact, more often than not in the infirmary - since Rin, being in the track and field, often ended up there, causing an irritated Maki to always lecture her about her safety and how to take care of herself better while bandaging up Rin's not too serious wounds. After all, Maki hailed from a family of doctors and had taken the liberty to patch her roommate up with permission from the school nurse.

A soft grunt from the figure in the bed caught Maki's attention just as the nurse finished wrapping a new bandage around Rin's ankle. It seemed like the shorter girl had sprained her ankle while trying to push Maki away from harm.

Groggily, the orange haired girl yawned as she tried to sit up on the bed. A shot of pain pierced through her side, causing her to hiss out as she grimaced.

Maki was immediately in front of Rin and had asked worriedly, "Are you okay, Rin?"

Surprised, the short haired girl offered a grin, "I'm fine now that Maki-chan is here worried about me nya~"

"W-Wha-" Maki's face immediately flamed up causing Rin to giggle. A split second later she winced. Apparently laughing wasn't a good idea.

"R-Rin!"

"I'm fine! I'm fine nya..." Rin grimaced as she pulled up her uniform to inspect the bruise that was taped up with a large squarish gauze.

At the sight before her, Maki couldn't help another slew of blush that burned her face as her eyes involuntarily trailed down towards the firmness of Rin's smooth and well-toned abs. Her face was so red that it could rival her hair and she gulped.

Upon noticing the flushed stare that her roommate was giving her, Rin was immediately alarmed, "What's wrong, Maki-chan? Why is your face so red? Are you feeling unwell?"

Apparently, Rin had misunderstood and that was fine with Maki. After all, how was she going to explain to her roommate that she was staring at her stomach and abs?

"I-I'm fine!" Maki's voice came out as a squeak. _Stop looking at Rin's stomach. Stop looking at Rin's..._

"Like what you see, Nishikino?" The purple haired nurse teased, mirth dancing in her turquoise eyes as she laughed. Maki's expression was priceless as her face was a mixture of embarrassment, surprise and indignation.

"I wasn't-" Maki tried to deny, glaring at the school nurse and the purple haired woman only laughed further.

"Tojou-san!"

"There, there, Maki-chan, don't get so worked up. Hoshizora looks confused now..." The older woman smiled before returning to the patient on the infirmary bed.

"Don't worry, Nishikino is fine. She's just...a little too excited..." She coughed to cover up another laugh, "...to see you awake."

"Is that so nya..."

"Now, I'm going to go to the softball club and figure out who was the one behind this - intentional or not, so please stay here till I come back. Remember, do not move from this spot till I'm back. Have I made myself clear?" The purple haired woman instructed.

Rin nodded.

"Good." The nurse then turned to Maki, "Please be on your best behavior too, Nishikino. No naughty business behind my bac-"

"O-Of course not!" Maki yelled, the red hue on her cheeks deepened at the implication.

"I'm just saying...and warning you..." The school nurse smirked as she left the infirmary.

"Sheesh, that woman!" Maki grumbled as she settled down beside Rin's bed.

"You're an idiot you know, Rin."

"Eh?! Why?" Rin looked shocked and perhaps a little hurt.

"You're an idiot for getting hurt for...my sake." Maki clarified as she ran her fingers through the locks of her hair. "You...you didn't have to take the hit for me...I mean... You're in the track and field right? You can't afford to get hurt!" The red haired girl burst out.

"Maki-chan..."

"I mean...I was really really worried about you!" Maki blurted out as tears threatened to fall down her cheeks. "I didn't like the fact that you were hurt because of me! I felt so...so guilty and..." Tears were already streaming down the usually stoic girl's face as she tried to control the tremble in her shaking voice. "What...what if you were injured badly? I couldn't live with myself if that happened. I didn't want any harm to come to you, Rin!"

Rin eye's widened at her roommate and her friend's admission and outburst. She hadn't expected that. She knew that Maki was worried about her but she'd never thought that Maki would start crying over her. Her heart clenched at the sight and without thinking, she pulled Maki close to her and embraced her, patting the girl's head.

"I'm sorry, Maki-chan..." She whispered. "You know, Maki-chan is also precious to me nya. I didn't want you to get hurt too, so I acted without thinking. Also...I don't mind getting hurt if it meant that you're safe. Besides, your face is too pretty to be hurt by the softball. It'd be a huge waste if you're injured. Unlike myself... It doesn't really matter since I'm so...boyish and...not feminine at all nya." Her voice now became softer as her words were filled with a degree of sadness and melancholy.

The red haired girl blushed slightly at the compliment though her heart ached when she heard Rin putting herself down.

"Y-You're...cute too!" Maki blurted out, her face turning 20 shades redder. "I mean, I think you're really _really_ cute! It doesn't matter if you think you're boyish... To me, Rin is Rin and...I think you look kind of...cool just the way you are..." Maki's voice trailed off and her last words was almost inaudible but Rin caught it, causing the orange haired girl to blush slightly.

"I...I didn't say it but...thank you for saving...me. You were...pretty heroic then." Maki admitted shyly as she buried her face against Rin's neck. "To me, you're always cute and pretty just the way you are..." She confessed, gripping Rin's shoulders tighter.

"Maki-chan..." Rin blinked back her tears as she smiled. "Thank you, Maki-chan."

The two roommates stayed in that position for several more minutes before they finally pull apart.

Embarrassed by her own actions, Maki looked away immediately as she started to play with the ends of her scarlet hair while Rin grinned and pounced onto her roommate's back, ignoring the stab of pain at her side as she rubbed her cheeks against Maki's face, "Maki-chan's cute when she's embarrassed nya~"

"W-Wait..W-Wha...Ge-Get off me-!"

"Hehehe~"

* * *

><p>"See? I told you they're adorable, Eli-chi" a voice from the door giggled slightly, while the occupants in the infirmary remained unaware.<p>

"...Are you sure a school nurse such as yourself should be encouraging such behavior on campus?" The blonde teacher sighed.

"But they're just too cute to ignore! They are your students too right?"

"Yes but seriously, Nozomi, are you sure you shouldn't go in now and check up on Hoshizora? After all, her injuries aren't mild, mind you."

"Sure, sure~ If Eli-chi says so~" the purple haired nurse smiled as she gave the pony tailed blonde a quick peck on her cheeks before she went back to the infirmary.

"N-Nozomi!" The blonde hissed as looked around, flustered, hoping that no one had seen them._Geez, that Nozomi..._

* * *

><p><em>AN_:

Review Replies

KevinCruelz: Hahaha it doesn't really matter if this takes place in Season 1 or 2 but what I actually had in mind was before Nozomi's episode when the Muse discovered that she was living alone.

Enya Talisman: I don't think Nico's mother would mind sending the picture to you XD It's a good blackmail material indeed. Ya know, I have a feeling Nozomi would want to picture too...

Major Mike Powell III: Thank you! Yea, definitely - Nico's boobs are bound to grow with Nozomi's help (laughs) Ya know, maybe another reason for Nozomi's breast rubs could be also to induce Eli's jealousy hahahha. That aside, Mixing A-Rise with Muse was something I've never considered, save for Honoka X Tsubasa. The potential is there though...hm... and E & E Connection? Sounds kinda cool - like a new tech or something hahaha

* * *

><p>On another note, I didn't plan on having Nozomi and Eli in this chapter at first, but my hands just typed on its own...and here we are. To clarify things, Nozomi is the school nurse, and Eli is a teacher in the school. You can assume that it's a high school where there are student dormitories and Rin and Maki are roommates and good friends. ;)<p> 


	13. Chapter 13

Pairing: Honoka X Maki

Rating: T

Chapter:_ Yet another day in the Kousaka's household_

AU: In which Maki and Honoka are married.

* * *

><p>"I'm home!" The door to the two-room apartment opened as the sound of keys being tossed aside could be heard.<p>

"Maki-chan~! Welcome back~" Came the enthusiastic and excited voice of the wife of the woman that had just entered from the front door.

"Hey, Honoka," the red haired surgeon greeted her ginger haired wife with a slight smile.

"How's work today for you?" Honoka inquired, bouncing towards the younger girl before sneaking in a kiss on her cheek, causing the red head's cheeks to redden slightly as Maki removed and hung her beige overcoat.

"It was fine until Umi was admitted to the A&E in the hospital barely alive." The red head sighed before grimacing. "Did Kotori call you about it?"

Honoka's expression immediately became one of concern. "Yeah, she did," she paused, "Only after the operation though." She grumbled. "Kotori-chan called me only after you operated on Umi-chan! Can you believe that?! Kotori-chan was crying though, she said that she was too worried and her mind was in a mess that she'd forgotten to call me."

Maki nodded in understanding before saying, "Can't be helped I guess. Umi was in an extremely tight position. A bullet wound in her chest had almost burst her arteries and she'd lost a lot of blood. There is also a chip in her skull that was hard to remove. Thank goodness she doesn't have any broken ribs or bones."

"Woah...that sounds really bad," Honoka frowned and before becoming puzzled, "But she's a sniper, isn't she? How'd she get hit?" To her knowledge, snipers were stationed relatively far away from their targets so that they wouldn't be spotted. So how in the world did Umi get shot, especially since snipers often hide their presence in high places?

Maki sighed again as she head to the living room with Honoka in tow.

"There were unexpectedly two trained snipers from the enemies' side." Maki explained tiredly. "From what I've overheard, Umi was in charge of taking out some guys that are involved in a terrorist group. She'd managed to finish her mission but the enemies had shot her, probably to kill her. She was lucky that she'd somehow sensed that she was targeted at the last second and escaped two bullets through her heart and skull..."

Honoka's face paled at the unpleasant thought, shivering slightly. She did not like the fact that her childhood friend was in constant danger and she wondered how Kotori was able to handle it. However, the hesitant and pained expression on Maki's face made her heart lurch and she swallowed before whispering, "...but...?"

"But...Umi is still unconscious," The surgeon exhaled before continuing, "She is alive, yet she isn't waking up. I...We do not know when she's going to wake up. This sounds cliche but...it all depends on her will. Kotori is also constantly by her side, talking to her, hoping that her voice would wake her lover up."

Honoka's face was immensely pale as she tried to process the information. She was glad that Umi was safe - alive that is. But the thought of her childhood friend never waking up...she didn't think she could handle it. They'd been friends since they were little and she was sure that if the bluenete were to never wake up, she would be crushed, as would Kotori - perhaps for the taupe haired woman's case, she would feel even worse and would be saddest amongst them all.

Upon seeing Honoka's shaken expression, Maki softened a little as she gently wrapped herself over her wife's back, leaning against her shoulders as she hugged her tightly, her arms over the older woman's stomach. The warmth on her back had immediately soothed Honoka, feeling her wife's love for her even though the red haired woman didn't say anything. She didn't even need to. Just the feel and presence of her wife had calmed the older woman, making her feel like everything was going to be alright, and that Umi was going to wake up.

"Honoka, Umi is safe now. I can guarantee, as her surgeon that she is going to wake up soon. Don't worry." Maki said clearly as she turned her wife around, brushing traces of tears away from her eyelids as she placed a chaste kiss on Honoka's forehead. Maki wasn't only saying all these to cheer her wife up - well, part of it was to bring back the optimistic, and cheerful Honoka she knew and loved, and the other was because it was the truth. As a doctor, Maki would never lie to the patient's friends and family, no matter how dire the situation was.

Honoka nodded slightly at the assurance, although a flicker of doubt still lingered in her mind.

"Umi probably wouldn't want you to be sad or depressed over her condition. With Kotori by her side, she'll definitely wake up soon." Maki said as her amethyst eyes stared into Honoka's blue orbs, "You believe in both Umi and Kotori right?"

"Yea..."

"Then, continue to place your faith in them. Neither of them is going to give up and neither should you. Believe that Umi will definitely wake up soon." Maki's voice was filled with confidence, hope and sincerity, as she gave her wife a broad grin.

Honoka's heart skipped a beat at her wife's bright smile. Her confident aura and determined words had also made Maki looked kind of cool, Honoka had thought as she watched the red haired woman, leaned over and placed another soft and gentle kiss on her, this time, on her lips, much to her surprise.

"Maki-chan..." Honoka's eyes were shinning with a new appreciation for her wife, causing the red head to blush as she turned away bashfully.

The familiar sight of her wife becoming "tsun" after being "dere" caused the ginger head to giggle slightly as a different set of warmth filled her chest. Although Maki was becoming more and more forward and honest with her feelings, there were still times when the red haired girl felt overly embarrassed and shy over her own or her wife's actions. Not that Honoka minded. While she loved that her wife was becoming more forward, she also loved the easily embarrassed side of her.

"Thank you, Maki-chan!" Honoka beamed, already back to her usual energetic and chirpy self as she patted her wife's head, before ruffling it slightly, causing the blush on the red haired's face to deepen. "Hehehe, Maki-chan you're so cute~"

"W-Wha-" Maki sputtered out, extremely flustered.

"I love you, Maki-chan~" Honoka only added fuel to the combusting fire on her wife's face with the unexpected declaration of love.

"I-I...love you too, Honoka..." Maki muttered.

"Maki-chan," Honoka said her wife's name again, causing the red head to turn towards her wife. The ginger head smiled at her wife before hugging the younger girl. It seemed like Honoka was being particularly affectionate that night as she caressed the locks of red, indulging herself in the warmth of the embrace as she inhaled, filling herself with the scent of Maki.

"H-Honoka...?"

"Just let me stay like this~" the ginger haired girl said as she tightened her arms around her wife. "Say, Maki-chan..."

"Y-Yes?"

"Thank you."

"Y-You said that already," Maki returned, still flustered.

"Yea, I know. But I wanted to thank you again, this time for being here with me, for being my wife, and for being such an awesome wife. I'm really glad that I've fallen- no, _am _in love with you, Maki-chan."

Maki only blushed brighter in silence and the ginger haired woman chuckled slightly, having an idea of what her wife's face must have looked like.

"I...I should be thanking you instead, Honoka. For reaching out to me...during our high school days, and for being with me as well. I'm..." Maki blushed again before gathering her all her courage to put her feelings into her next few words, "I'm really happy to be with you, to be in...love with you, and to be your...wife. Despite all the misunderstandings we've had in the past...I'd gladly go through it all again if it means that I'm able to be with you, to be married with you now."

"Maki...chan..." Honoka couldn't help the huge smile on her face.

"I-I know that I'm awkward sometimes...and can't really express my feelings...but...I want to at least be able to tell you how much I appreciate you, and how much I...love you..." Maki admitted as she buried her head into the crook of the older woman's neck.

"I know, Maki-chan. I know. But no mater what, I'll still love you~ You're my Maki-chan after all~" Honoka proclaimed with yet another huge smile.

Before Maki could say anything, a loud sound interrupted the moment and Maki's face burned further.

"Hehehe, Maki-chan, you're hungry already?"

"I-I'm not-"

Another rumble from Maki's stomach caused Maki to turn redder.

Honoka laughed as she removed herself from her wife before saying, "I'll be serving dinner soon, so wait for a bit kay~?"

Maki nodded, still flushed as she watched her wife skipped into the kitchen, humming one of their songs back from their school idol days.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

Review Replies

ihavenoidea: I actually debated whether tears should be involved but I thought that even Maki, who appear to be strong or indifferent would probably cry when their loved ones are hurt. Maybe I'm over thinking a little...Anyway, Thanks~

Enya Talisman: Thank you~ :)

kiasne: Hehehe, thanks! :D

Dash24zappshift: Thanks! Sorry for the wait~

Major Mike Powell III: As usual, thanks for the review~ :) XD

Jaez: Hey there! Hope I've haven't dampened your excitement or expectations in this chapter. Hopefully it's to your satisfaction :) As for KotoMaki, sure! It's great to know that there are people in the fandom who appreciates rare shippings or are at least interested in other shippings~

* * *

><p>Confession: I've never written about a married couple before, much less a HonoMaki. So um, what do you guys think of...this? Initially, I was thinking of doing a college AU wherein Honoka is enraptured by Maki's singing voice but...after writing two paragraphs of it, I abandoned it. I just couldn't continue...for some strange reason. And thus...this was born. I don't know how many people are open enough to HonoMaki and are comfortable with them being married so...I guess this is like a trial? I mean, if the married couple was NozoEli, I'm sure more than 90% of the people here wouldn't mind.<p>

And yes, I've indirectly mentioned that Maki is married to Honoka and has adopted her last name instead. (Look at the chapter title and you'll get it)

I'm sorry if teasing Maki or making Maki flustered makes you guys cringe since that's what I've been doing to all my Maki(s) in this fic.

Also, another thing - the HonoMaki here is meant to be cheesy? Fluffy? If it's too cheesy, you might want to drink plain water to wash the taste off.

* * *

><p>Next is <em>HonoRin<em>! Followed by _HonoEli_! (Wow, Honoka, you sure are popular with the gals)


	14. Chapter 14

Pairing: Honoka X Rin

Rating: T

Chapter: _The new resident in my household__  
><em>

AU: In which Honoka brings home an abandoned cat in the park and when she reaches home, the cat turns into a human girl.

* * *

><p>"Nyaaaan..." a soft purr came from the orange cat that was sitting on the park bench, wagging its long tail in anticipation.<p>

"Nya...?" Honoka attempted to answer, totally unsure of what the orange cat really wanted. Not that she could speak cat language but that particular feline had been staring at her for quite some time, so she might as well try to communicate with it, for lack of any better ideas.

"Nyaaa!" the cat meowed again, its tail wagging even more quickly than before.

Seriously, what did the cat want?

Honoka looked conflicted as she looked at the cat and then at her watch that read three in the afternoon. She really had to get back home now since her childhood friends were dropping by soon but each time the ginger haired girl tried to walk away, the cat would let out a pitiful cry that would cause Honoka's heart to soften and mellow.

**"**Let's try this again…" Honoka muttered as she squatted down in front of the bench, and stared at the feline with chartreuse eyes. "So…how can I help you…?" The ginger haired asked. The orange cat meowed again.

_Maybe I'm doing this the wrong way? _Honoka thought.

"Are…you hungry?" the ginger haired girl asked the first thing that popped into her mind.

"Nyaa!" Honoka swore that she had seen the cat nod.

_That's not possible… Maybe I'm imagining things? _

"Nyaa, Nyaa!" The cat seemed to be a little irritated, causing the ginger head to flinch.

"Ah– right! Since you're hungry, I could bring you home and feed you." Honoka offered.

"Nya~!" The orange cat seemed happy as she jumped off the bench smoothly and trotted towards Honoka, rubbing itself against her leg.

"Ah–that…tickles!" Honoka laughed before patting the orange cat's head, ruffling its fur. Said cat let out a contented purr before Honoka stood up again and led the cat home.

* * *

><p>Honoka opened the door to her apartment and the orange cat followed behind quietly.<p>

She headed for her kitchen before taking a double take. _Do cats eat bread? _

Perplexed, Honoka contemplated the choices of food she had in her kitchen, before deciding to feed the feline some cookies that Kotori had baked the day before.

"Nyaaaa..." The cat immediately dug in.

Smiling to herself, the ginger head ruffled the cat's head once more before yawning and head back to the living room. Before she could plop down on her couch, a voice had made her freeze.

"Thanks for feeding Rin nya~"

Honoka spun around, only to see a naked orange haired girl standing in her kitchen.

The ginger haired girl's eyes widened as she stumbled a few steps back and rubbed her eyes.

No, she wasn't dreaming.

There really was a girl - and she'd also noted that the girl seemed to have cat ears and a tail to boot- in her kitchen, _naked_, no less.

A blush had threatened to rise to her cheeks but she pushed it down and forced herself to stop staring at the bare body and focused on the girl's face.

"W-Who're you?" Honoka finally found her voice.

"Me? I'm Hoshizora Rin nya~"

"Not that! I mean, who are you? How did you even get in here?! And why are you...naked?"

"Too many questions nya~" the girl frowned slightly before continuing, "To answer one of your questions, you brought me here nya~"

"Brought you...here?" Honoka echoed dumbly. "Since when?! I've only brought a cat in here!"

"Rin's the cat nya~" The mysterious girl grinned with ease, as if what she'd just said was totally normal.

Honoka thought she was hearing things. The girl in front of her, a cat?! That was impossible...right? Speaking of the cat, the ginger haired girl tried to look for the orange cat but realised that it was nowhere to be found.

_Could it be that...that girl is speaking the truth? But how?!_

The orange haired girl continued to look at Honoka patiently, while the truth finally sunk in, as absurd as it sounded.

"May I ask...how you turned into a cat or how did the cat turn into you...?" Honoka finally managed to ask, though her voice sounded a little strangled.

"Rin can turn into a cat nya," the cat girl said, "But when Rin turns back, Rin'll be naked, since cats do not wear clothes nya."

"I...see..." Honoka said before she asked again, "But how?"

Rin looked perplexed as she frowned, "Rin doesn't remember..."

Honoka blinked. _She doesn't remember?_

"Rin only remembers her name nya…" The cat-girl said grimly.

_Does it mean that she lost her memories?_

Without a doubt, Honoka's mind was spinning, trying to comprehend the situation and what Rin had just said. Before she could ask how in the world she could forget how she turned into a cat, the door to the apartment opened, revealing Honoka's two childhood friends.

"Honoka~ We're–" Kotori's eyes widened at the sight before her. Confusion, embarrassment, and finally understanding crossed her features as she finally opened her mouth, "I'm sorry...to intrude. I didn't know...Honoka-chan..." The taupe haired girl's throat felt dry as she let her words trail off. She didn't think that her childhood friend was interested in…such stuff.

The gears inside the ginger haired girl started to work. She immediately realised that Kotori had misunderstood the situation. Of course, who wouldn't?! There was a naked girl in front of her for heaven's sake!

"W-Wait Kotori-chan! This isn't what you think–" Before Honoka could clear up the horrible misunderstanding, another shocked gasp could be heard.

_Oh no_.

Umi now stood beside Kotori, her jaw gaped open in horror and astonishment, as her cheeks turned extremely red. From embarrassment or anger, Honoka couldn't really tell. Perhaps it was both. The look on Umi's face spoke a lot and the ginger haired girl knew that the bluenete would definitely jump to the wrong conclusion.

"W-W-Wait! Umi-chan! Please listen to–"

"Y-Y-You s-shameless, scandalous person!" The bluenete immediately half-shrieked. She couldn't believe that her childhood friend had the gall to–

"Like I said, this is a misunderstanding!" Honoka cried out in desperation.

"W-What is there to misunderstand?!" Umi hissed out, "You have a naked girl in front of you who's wearing...cat ears...and tail." Umi's face was extremely flushed as she trembled.

"Umi-chan, Kotori-chan! Please listen to what I have to say!" Honoka pleaded. Oh why did they have to arrive at this time? To begin with, why in the heavens did she even give them the key to her apartment for? Also, it was the damn cat's fault for turning back into a human! Why couldn't it stay as a cat?!

"Honoka-chan..." The taupe haired girl muttered. Maybe they were jumping the gun too quickly? After all, Honoka didn't seem like a person with such interests. But then again, looks can be deceiving.

"Listen, guys, it's not what you think it is! The girl– Rin is a cat! I mean, I brought home a cat and it turned into a girl! That's why she's naked!"

"You expect us to believe that?!" Umi nearly screamed as she clenched her fists tightly.

Honoka's heart sank. Of course her friends wouldn't believe her! Who would? Heck, even she couldn't believe it herself!

"It's true nya~" a sudden voice interrupted them. Everyone turned to the naked girl, and the cat-girl continued, "Rin can turn into a cat nya~ Master here saved me from starvation when Rin was still in my cat form in the park by bringing me back to her home."

_Master? Why is she calling me that? _

"Subsequently, Rin turned back to human nya~" Rin explained easily and a split second later, she disappeared and an orange cat appeared in her place.

"So she was telling the truth after all..." Honoka muttered under her breath.

Umi and Kotori looked bewildered, unable to believe their eyes. Kotori recovered from her shock quickly as she immediately rushed forward to pick up to cat and started to hug it, "Aww, she's so cute~"

Umi was still in shock and Honoka sighed. At least now they know the truth.

Rin immediately squirmed its way out of the taupe head's arms and made its way back to Honoka before turning back into her human form.

That had seemed to snap Umi out of it and she sighed before turning to Honoka, "I apologise for jumping into false conclusions. I should've known that you wouldn't do such things."

"Yea, me too, Honoka-chan. I'm sorry..." Kotori looked apologetic as she said sheepishly.

Umi narrowed her eyes before turning to Rin,"Wait here for a bit."

The blue haired girl left the living room and a minute later, she came back holding a white shirt and long pants.

Tossing it to the cat girl– Rin, Umi ordered, "Put these clothes on for now. It's Honoka's. Although she's a little taller than you, you should be able to fit into these. Roll the ends of the pants if it's too long."

"Okay nya~" Rin obliged as she quickly put on the shirt and pants.

"Now that you're decent, could you care to tell us what on earth is going on?" Umi began her interrogations.

* * *

><p>"So...you do not remember how you ended up in the park, and Honoka happened to pick you up and fed you before you starved to death?" Umi succinctly summed up as she gave the now sheepish cat-girl a pointed look.<p>

The trio plus the cat-girl were now sitting in the living room floor since the couch was too small to fit all of them.

"That's about it nya," Rin said as she yawned, crawling towards Honoka and leaned her head against the older girl's lap.

"So what now?" The ginger haired girl asked as she played with the orange pair of cat ears, awed by the utter softness and fluffiness of it.

Rin let out a contented mewl at the touch. "Rin doesn't know nya~ Would it be fine if Rin stays here with Master for now?" The orange haired girl asked, turning up towards Honoka with watery eyes.

"Of course you can!" Honoka smiled widely, "It'll be great to have you around~" She proceeded to pat the cat-girl's head, causing Rin to meow happily.

"W-Wait, Honoka!" Umi protested as concern filled her features, "You can't be serious! You know next to nothing about this girl – I mean Rin, and you're just going to let her stay?! We don't even know if she's really human!"

"It's fine, isn't it?" Honoka offered a smile, "Besides, she looks so pitiful. You wouldn't want her to starve to death outside right? What if bad guys came and harm her?" The ginger haired girl held the orange haired girl close, as if afraid that harm would come to the girl in her arms.

"Umi-chan, Honoka-chan has a point," Kotori tried to reason with the bluenete, "I'm sure Rin-chan here is harmless~"

"You say that because you think she's cute…" Umi sighed in exasperation.

"Ehehe~ Don't you think so too?" Kotori titled her head and smiled sweetly at her blue haired friend.

"W-Well…yes I do agree…" Umi stammered at the look Kotori was giving her. "Ugh! Fine!" The blue haired girl sighed as she relented, "Keep her for all I care, Honoka. You had better take responsibility for Rin."

"Yay~" Honoka cheered before giving the cat-girl a hug.

"Nyaaa~"

"Well, I guess we better get going," Umi stood up. "We wouldn't want to disturb you and Rin."

"I'll see you guys out to the door then!" Honoka was about to stand up before Umi stopped her with a shake of her head, "It's okay. We'll see ourselves out." The blue haired girl then offered her hand to Kotori who gladly took it and stood up as well.

The duo head towards the door after bidding good-bye to Honoka and Rin.

"Nya~ Rin likes Honoka-chan nya~" The orange head proclaimed loudly once the duo was gone.

"Oh? I thought you were going to call me Master?" Honoka laughed.

"Hehe~" Rin gave Honoka a fanged grin before she started to snuggle against the ginger head, rubbing her cheeks against her "owner's" face with affection.

_Ah~ Rin-chan's just too cute_~ Honoka gushed internally. _She's totally like a cat~ I wish I could snuggle up with her forever~_

"Rin-chan, c'mon, we have to get you to the shower now. You need to clean yourself up before dinner. And we have to get you a new set of clothes too…"

"Rin doesn't like baths nya~" Rin shivered at the thought, attempting to ran away from Honoka but the ginger haired girl, already anticipating that, had held onto the cat-girl by grabbing her tail.

"Eeek! Stop, stop! Don't pull my tail!" The orange haired girl yelped.

"Only if you promise to come with me to the bathroom," Honoka smirked, trying to hide the laughter that was bubbling inside her. Seriously, Rin was so adorable even when she's afraid.

"Ah– Okay, okay!" The orange haired cat-girl finally relented.

"Okay~" Honoka said cheerfully as she released Rin and the two head to the bathroom, while the cat-girl grumbled something about pet abuse under her breath.

* * *

><p><strong>AN**:

Review Replies

Msmusicful: Hehe, thank you~!

Major Mike Powell III: Thank you! I wanted Umi to be a police officer at first but scraped that idea since there a fic here in which the Umi's part of the police force already so I settled for snipping instead~ Anyway, your term "kitteh of Muse" had given me this idea, to literally make Rin a cat. :3

Candus98: Should I assume that these are requests for pairings? o.O

Lin Harlaown: Thank you~ XD :)

ihavenoidea: Hahaha, thank you! I'll leave that up to your imagination~

KevinCruelz: Wow, hahaha thanks~ :D Glad that you really liked that chapter~

Enya Talisman: Thank you~ Hahaha, I apologise for making Umi suffer again. I'll try to not make her suffer anymore than she has.

Satsuki Rin: Thank you, and you're most welcome! It really brings a smile to my face to see that someone has really enjoyed the chapter!

Jaez: Thank you! :D Yea, I realised that the chapter title is kind of misleading XD I apologise for that ~_~

Dash24zappshift: Hahahha, thank you! :):) Hey, Nico is pretty popular too! we have NicoMaki, NozoNico...uh...okay, never mind...

* * *

><p>I had initially diverged from HonoRin in my first attempt and hence it took me quite awhile to finish and post this up. (At first, Maki, Nozomi and Eli were in it too and they are all were-cats. But that seemed too complicated so I aborted it.)<p>

Thank you for all the lovely reviews, favourites and follows~ I really appreciate all the support and the interest in this fic~ I can't emphasise enough how grateful I am.


	15. Chapter 15

Pairing: Honoka X Eli

Rating: T (**Warning**: nothing (too) explicit but it's a high T)

Chapter: _I need you now._

In which Honoka can't keep her hands off Eli after their fourth live. (Note: Eli is still the student council president here)

* * *

><p><em>Finally. <em>Honoka thought, breathing heavily after their final pose just as the song had ended. Loud applause rang throughout the hall, echoing for what seemed like forever as the member of Muse all held their hands together for a final bow before leaving the glittering and shinning stage.

Honoka had immediately dashed off, grabbing her lover's hands as she led her to an empty changing room, ignoring the protests and calls from the rest of her idol-mates. She made a mental note to apologise to their friends later.

"W-Wait! H-Honoka!" Eli tried to stop the ginger haired girl but her words fell to deaf ears as Honoka pulled her into the changing room and locked the door behind them. It just so happened that the empty changing room seemed to be unused and it was also highly unlikely that anyone would find them anytime soon. So, Honoka had all the time in the world to get what she wanted – and that was, Eli.

The ginger haired girl, still trying to even out her own breathing from their performance, was only focused on one thing – Eli's outfit. Clad in a maid outfit that revealed the top part of her cleavage, with a huge red ribbon wrapped around her curvy waist, the second year could not help but stare at her lover's body, her usual bright blue eyes was glazed over with a somewhat dark and feral look. Not to mention the long black strip that ran down her smooth and marvellous thighs. The sweat that glistened down the blonde's neck from their live earlier had sent shivers down the ginger head's spine. Honoka gulped, her throat suddenly dry.

"H-Honoka…?" Eli shivered under the intense and heated look that her lover was giving her. Before the pony tailed blonde could say anything else, the ginger haired girl had already pushed her against the wall, causing a small grunt to escape from the older girl.

"W-Wha– Mmmp–!" Soft lips were already on hers just as she tried to open her mouth again to speak. Instantly, the quarter Russian melted under the kiss as her lips sought for Honoka's eagerly. Hot wet tongues melded into each other as Honoka made the move to deepen the kiss, causing Eli to moan slightly. The fire in her had already been ignited as the taste of her lover assaulted her entire being. Her body was burning and _scorching_. Unconsciously, Eli's hands snaked behind Honoka's, pushing herself further in, wanting to feel more, _needing_ to feel more.

Minutes later, both girls pulled apart, gasping as they had to catch their breaths.

"Honoka…" Eli muttered dazedly, her head still swirling from the sudden assault.

The ginger haired girl had not released the older girl and instead, leaned against the taller girl and rested her head against her lover's ample chest.

Chuckling slightly, the blonde senior held the younger girl, caressing the ginger haired girl's hair affectionately.

"Sorry, Eli-chan," Honoka finally spoke as she looked up, "I…got carried away."

Resisting a smile at the adorable yet guilty look that the ginger head had sported, Eli said softly, "It's okay, Honoka."

The leader of Muse gave the Student Council President a sheepish smile as she continued to stare at the blonde before her. Mesmerised by the deep oceanic blue orbs, Honoka could not help but utter, "Pretty…"

Eli immediately blushed. Even though she'd been with Honoka for some time already, compliments such as that from Honoka would still set her heart racing. Although it seemed that the two "enemies" were unlikely to be together due to the difference in their opinions and ideals, it was in fact because of that that had attracted the two polar opposites towards each other in the first place. They had admired and respected each other, even when they were "enemies" and these admiration and respect had grown into something more as the two got closer together when Eli had joined Muse.

"Eli…chan…" Honoka murmured as she nuzzled against the older blonde's neck, her hands had started to roam around the older girl's body.

"Honoka, we should wait until we've changed out of our outfits or until we reach home. Besides, the others would be looking for us soon. We shouldn't waste their time since they would want to head home to…" Eli tried to reason as she felt her lover's hands starting to touch inappropriate areas around her body.

"I can't wait." Came Honoka's reply as she licked her lips, her hands continuing their journey around the curves of her lover's body.

"H-Honoka– " Eli's voice hitched as she shuddered just as the younger girl's hand slipped underneath her outfit, tracing an upward movement along her thighs. "S-Stop…"

"Eli-chan…you know, ever since I've first saw you wear this maid outfit… I've really wanted you," Honoka admitted as her voice became a tad lower and somewhat huskier, "Eli-chan… please, I _need_ you now."

Eli's face was flaming hot as she tried to register her lover's words. Her heart started to beat erratically and Honoka's unusually deep voice has caused her to burn even further. Her breaths started to become shallow. The feel of her lover's hand on her had threatened all coherent thought in her mind to fly away as she tried to swallow back her moan when Honoka attempted to sneak her finger further in. The need in Honoka's voice had turned her on, causing her to become even hotter in her maid outfit. Her lover was being so forceful and if Eli could, she would definitely let the ginger haired girl have her way here, right in the changing room. She was throbbing with utmost want and need too, the fire in her only burned brighter and longer with each seconds that passed. She needed to extinguish this burning fire in her. She _needed_ Honoka now.

Without warning, Eli had crushed her lips against the soft lips in front of her, causing Honoka to gasp out loud. The heated dance of dominance thus begun in the confines of the changing room – the only sounds that could be hear were the slight sighs and groans from the two occupants engaging in a heated activity.

However, somewhere in Eli's muddled and hazy mind, the rational part of her, the Student Council President side of her, knew that they had to stop before they took things too far. It just wasn't right, she thought, to be doing indecent things in a changing room – that's not even theirs – and when all of their friends were probably worried sick about their absence.

As much as she wanted Honoka to take her right there and then, she couldn't. And so, Eli had done the hardest thing she'd ever done in her entire life – she'd forcibly pushed Honoka away from her. Their lips immediately parted, resulting in a thin silver line of saliva to form between them.

"Eli-chan– " Honoka looked dumbfounded at the sudden loss of contact and at how she was pushed away.

"We can't." Eli tried to calm her shallow breaths as she croaked out in a strangled voice. "We can't," she repeated, this time more clearly as she bit her inner lips. "This isn't the right place nor time." The pony tailed blonde asserted as she stared into Honoka's eyes, begging her to understand where she was coming from. "And I'm sure Nozomi and the others would get worried if they can't find us soon."

The younger girl visibly deflated as she sighed dejectedly, "Yes, I know…" The dejected look had caused the blonde' heart to ache. Wanting to wipe that look of her lover's face, the older girl thought for a while before a thought crossed her mind.

"But when we do reach home…" Eli trailed off, causing the ginger haired girl to look up questioningly. "More _quality time_ would be dedicated to you, my ever hungry princess." Eli whispered seductively into Honoka's ears, causing a bright blush to appear on the other girl's face.

_Honoka's cute when she's blushing~ _Eli giggled slightly to herself as she watched her lover now become flustered.

Giving her lover a final pat on the head, Eli was about to unlock the door when the younger girl finally spoke out, a mischievous yet bashful twinkle in her eyes, "Hey, Eli-chan. In exchange, could you wear your maid outfit during our…_quality time _together?"

The only answer Eli gave was a huge flush on her cheeks as she looked away, before giving her an embarrassed nod.

Honoka immediately grinned as she jumped onto the older girl's back, giving a kiss against Eli's neck. "Hehe~ Thank you, Eli-chan~"

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

Review Replies:

Enya Talisman: Honoka having a nosebleed? That could totally work. Hahaha, Umi would probably yell something about how this is so "scandalous" and I trust that Kotori would only nosebleed for Umi (coughs). I doubt the kitty-sized shirt would grow XD It'd just be ripped apart when she turns into a human. Now, what's the fun if the kitty-sized shirt does grow? ;)

Candus98: Hehehe, Yes, Umi and Kotori do seem like a pervert here XD But everyone is bound to misunderstand right? (laughs)

Major Mike Powell III: Well, words are powerful ;) Anyway, this chapter is from your HonoEli prompt! Hope I did it right!

Lin Harlaown: nyaa...?

* * *

><p>This chapter is a prompt by <em><strong>Major Mike Powell III<strong>_ and hence the story-line belongs to him/her!

**Note**: I should probably state this before hand that this fic will stick to strictly up a rating of_T. _So uh, requests that exceed the rating would be denied on this fic itself and if I have the time, I'll do a separate one-shot...? (I'm aware that not everyone who followed this fic are of age yet but then again, ratings are still written at the top of each chapter)

Next up: KotoMaki!

Until then~


	16. Chapter 16

Pairing: Kotori X Maki

Rating: T

Chapter: _Here, we are able to cherish the life we have now._

AU: In which both Kotori and Maki are volunteers in the rescue efforts after a major natural disaster.

* * *

><p>The destruction was widespread, Maki immediately noted as she got off the van. A sense of melancholy and sadness washed over her at the sight of the collapsed buildings, large debris, and the limp bodies that scattered the hit area. An earthquake of magnitude of 8 on the Ritcher Scale and an intensity of XI on the Mercalli Scale had left the city in rubbles, as the once tall and proud buildings had been reduced to debris. Tarred roads were now split apart, forming fissures and cracks. Telephone lines were not spared either, and judging by the aftermath of the disaster, the red head deduced that power and water supplies had probably been cut off too.<p>

"It's terrible, isn't it?" A fellow doctor volunteer next to her whispered softly.

"Yes, it is…" Maki could only manage as she clenched her teeth. It wasn't her first time seeing such a sight yet she still couldn't control the trembling of her hands. As part of the relief team of doctors and nurses, she was dispatched to the epicentre of where the earthquake had struck.

Taking in a deep breath, the red haired doctor started to grab her bag of medical supplies, not before shoving her mobile phone and a standardised walkie-talkie into the pocket of her white coat– that labelled her as a doctor on site. All of them had been debriefed on the way to the disaster site and they were all designated to certain tasks and areas to help save as many people as they can. Once she checked that she had everything she needed, Maki began to walk towards her designated area. She was supposed to work with several other volunteers. Little information was given to her, except for the fact that due to a shortage of doctors and nurses, several volunteers would be attached to a medical personnel. Being a doctor, she was naturally in charge of her team but the leader of her team of volunteers seemed to be a woman called Minami Kotori.

Within a few minutes, the red haired woman had already reached her designated area, and upon her arrival, a taupe coloured haired woman, who seemed to be around her age was waving at her, albeit too enthusiastically. To say that the woman's hairstyle was unique was an understatement. Maki couldn't really figure out how the woman's hair worked – there seemed to be a small puff of hair sticking out from the top of her head, something akin to a chicken's head or a bird's nest.

"Nishikino Maki-san, right?" The taupe haired woman clarified as Maki neared her.

"Yes, that's me." Maki promptly answered.

"I'm Minami Kotori, nice to meet you," Kotori smiled warmly, sticking out her hand. Maki mirrored her action and shook the other woman's hand. Something about the warm countenance of the woman in front of her had immediately put her at ease and if not for the fact that they are meeting in such a condition and place, Maki would've thought that the woman in front of her looked cute. To be precise, the smile that Kotori had offered her was angelic, and for a second there, Maki's heart almost skipped a beat. And then she made the mistake of staring straight into the taupe haired woman's eyes. Maki sucked in a breath as the set of amber orbs captured her attention. _It's so...beautiful..._ The red head thought as she continued to let herself be mesmerised by its deep colour. _  
><em>

"N-Nishikino...san?" Kotori said hesitantly, trying to fight down an impending blush at the way the red haired doctor was staring at her.

"Nice too meet you too, Minami-san," Maki managed to return the greeting before her thoughts could wander off to how adorable the other woman looked and how pretty her eyes were.

"So, shall we get started then?" Kotori suggested, straight to the point.

* * *

><p><em>I'm so tired. <em>Maki almost groaned out as she went back to one of the temporary rest tents set up specifically for the personnel working on the site. She was dead exhausted and felt that if she didn't take a break now, she would have collapsed onto the ground.

Sighing, the red haired doctor grabbed a bottle of mineral water (brought in by the relief teams) available in the tent and started to quench her thirst that had been bothering her for the past two hours.

She had been working for 6 hours straight ever since she arrived early in the morning. It was only noon now and Maki felt like she'd been here for almost a day. Not that she hated what she was doing. She really did like helping people out, saving people with her abilities and capabilities as a qualified doctor. She could've been back in Tokyo, working in her family hospital, under more comfortable and air conditioned conditions but she was the one who chose to be here.

But the fact that she wasn't able to save some had always gotten to her. Even when she was in Tokyo, failure to save her patients had always made her feel inadequate and useless, despite knowing that even doctors couldn't save everyone. She knew that she had her limits too, as a human being and even as a doctor, but that didn't mean that she had to like it. It was worse here, at this disaster site. People being crushed alive by collapsed buildings, being burned alive by fire that broke out due to the collapse of the electrical cables...she had seen how people were slowly dying, despite her or any other doctors' best efforts to save them.

She looked at her watch and realised that she had been sitting here, staring into nothing for approximately 15 minutes already. It was time to get back to work.

Putting her bottle of mineral water aside for now, the young doctor was about to stand up when a familiar figure burst into the tent, causing Maki to flinch before her look of surprise turned into an alarmed one.

"What's wrong?!" Maki demanded, upon seeing the stressed and conflicted look on Kotori's face.

"N-Nishikino-san! Kawasaki-san...is... I mean she-" Kotori looked like she was about to cry, causing Maki's heart to ache for two separate reasons.

"S-She's trying to take her own life!" Kotori blurted out.

It was as if the world had stopped moving. Kotori's words echoed endlessly inside her as her mind raced. Gritting her teeth, she gathered herself quickly before standing up, and demanded, "Where is she?!"

"In...one of the tents where the dead bodies are..." The taupe haired woman murmured out as she tried to not flinch at the force of her leader's words.

"Take me there! Now!" Maki's voice rang with authority as her expression hardened.

Kotori immediately led her out of the tent as the duo rushed to where Kawasaki-san was.

As the duo burst into the tent, they could see a raven haired woman crying as she held a knife in one hand, while a taller brunette seemed to be grasping the raven head's wrist which held the knife tightly, trying to stop the reckless woman.

"Kawasaki!" Maki yelled, announcing both her and Kotori's presence.

"Doctor Nishikino-san..." Kawasaki eyes widened at the sight of the red haired doctor before her face contorted into one of despair and rage. "You...You don't know how I feel! All of you! My family is dead! All of them! The least I could do...is to join them...!" The raven haired woman cried as she once again tried to break free from the grasp that was on her wrist so that she could angle her knife to her other wrist which was already bleeding.

"Kawasaki originally came here as a volunteer to look for her family who was staying here... So when she received news that her family...didn't survive the earthquake...she was so distraught." Kotori explained quietly to Maki, who was standing beside her,

Despite feeling sympathetic and sorry for Kawasaki, Maki was seething inside. She knew that she would never understand Kawasaki's feelings– and hopefully she never would but the years that she been a doctor had taught her that one's life was precious. No matter how alone you might be in the world, and no matter how poor and injured you might be, you still had to live on. Life is a gift– it took her a few years to understand this concept after meeting people form all walks of life in the hospital.

"Kawasaki!" Maki snapped, "Did you really think that by killing yourself, you or your family will be happy?"

The red haired doctor walked towards the raven head and continued, her lavender eyes burning, "You are merely a coward who runs away from her problems! You have the ability to live on yet you choose to end it. What of those who do not want to die but have no choice? What about those you see in this very tent?! As a volunteer, you are very irresponsible to quit, especially so by taking your own life!"

"Who are you to dictate how I live my life?! I have no one left, doctor. No one. How am I supposed to live, knowing that my family is dead?! You doctor, have not experienced what I have! So don't you dare lecture me on how precious life is. I know that myself! Besides, why should I continue to save people? My family did nothing wrong yet they died. This is injustice! So why should I save the others– "

A loud slap could be heard resounding through the tent. Kotori gasped out loud as she saw their team leader slapped Kawasaki, right on her face.

"Oh, so you being the leader gives you the right to slap-"

"Shut up." Maki's voice turned icy cold, sending shivers down Kotori's spine. The taupe haired girl gulped at the almost emotionless look that Maki sported. She then wondered if anything had happened to the doctor before and wished that she could wipe that look off the red head's face. It just didn't suit her.

"I'm your leader so I'm ordering you to drop the knife now. I'm your leader so I'm stopping you. And I'm your leader so I'm being the responsible one and knock some sense into your stupid self!" Maki's voice grew louder. "Don't be selfish. I'm sure your family wants you to live on too. By taking your life, you're dishonouring your parents who birthed you, so shut up and act like a responsible adult. Think things through and if you still want to kill yourself...I'll knock you out and cuff you, and send you back to wherever you came from." Maki's tone was one of finality as she snatched the knife from the shocked Kawasaki before nodding at the brunette who was helping to restrain the raven head.

"Take her back to the hospital tent and tend to her wounds." Maki instructed before she left the tent, along with Kotori.

While Kotori was awed by how Maki had handled things, she was also struck by the intensity of emotions that Maki had put in in her lecture. It almost seemed like something you would see in a movie or drama series and the taupe girl had thought that the red head was extremely cool then. It also made her curious about Maki, and she wanted to know more about the red headed doctor who seemed wise and level headed despite being around her age.

"Why don't we take a short break too?" Kotori suggested once the two stepped out of the tent.

"Two members are now out of commission and you want me to take a break?" Maki questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"I don't see any problem with that. Besides, you must've been really tired by now. And I was interrupting your break too..." Kotori trailed off before a sad look crossed her features. Maki flinched at the sad and watery look that Kotori was giving her._ I'm not going to fall for that...I'm not going to fall for– _

"Maki-chan, please!" Kotori grasped the vest of her shirt where her chest was as her eyes became teary and a pleading look was directed at the red haired woman whose face was now red.

Maki's heart almost stopped at the look Kotori was giving her. Her face had flushed and her heart started to beat wildly and she clenched her fists tightly. She tried to look away but a small whimper from the other woman destroyed all her efforts and walls in a split second.

"Fine." Maki finally relented grudgingly. How could she resist such a cute face that was begging her?! And how was it possible that Kotori was able to have such an effect on her? She thought she was immune to all these "tricks".

"Yay~" Kotori cheered as she pulled the red haired woman along to a rest tent nearby.

Maki could only sigh inwardly.

* * *

><p>"…Why are you staring at me, Minami-san?" Maki finally asked with a slight frown on her now blushing face. Kotori had been staring at her for a minute now and it was making her extremely self-conscious. To begin with, she wasn't really comfortable when people kept staring at her.<p>

"Hm? Oh…I just thought you have a beautiful face, Nishikino-san. By the way, You can call me Kotori," the taupe haired woman smiled, "After all, it's better if we get used to each other soon right?"

"Y-Yea…I guess…." Maki stuttered out. "Then…you can call me Maki too."

"Yep~ Maki-chan~"

_M-Maki-chan?! _The red haired doctor's face turned a shade darker before looking away in embarrassment. It wasn't often that someone called her by her first name with such endearment, much less someone who she'd just met.

Flustered, Maki could only nod.

"Hehehe~ Maki-chan's pretty cute when she's embarrassed huh?" Kotori giggled, causing the said red head to burn even brighter. _G-Geez, how can she say all that easily?_

"Y-You're…pretty cute yourself…" Maki murmured, almost inaudibly, finally voicing out what had been on her mind for the past few hours.

"E-Eh?" It was the taupe haired girl's turn to blush as she scratched her hair in an embarrassed manner, "R-Really? But I think Maki-chan is waaaaay cuter! And you're really pretty too!"

The red haired doctor's face was now completely red, and if possible, even redder than her scarlet hair.

"Y-You–"Maki groaned inwardly at her lack of social skills in such situations. All she had to do was to accept the compliment, so why couldn't she?

"That aside, Maki-chan…" Kotori's voice suddenly turned more serious, causing Maki to raise an eyebrow as she turned her attention to the taupe haired woman.

"I'm just curious– you don't have to tell me if you don't want to. But…did something happen to you in the past?" Kotori's voice turned softer and gentler.

"What do you mean?"

"You…were quite angry at Kawasaki-san right?"

"You mean that? Ah I was–" Maki's face turned grim. "Yes…I was pretty upset with her." Her face scrunched into a small scowl. "If you mean specific events that made me snap the way I had at Kawasaki…then I guess I don't have any traumatic experiences, if that's what you're asking. But…I spent my entire life in the hospital. Ever since I was a kid, I spent my time after school and weekends in the hospital. After all, I was expected to inherit my papa's – I mean, my father's hospital. I'd often see father's patients and since I was often lonely and wandered around on my own, various patients started to talk to me." Maki paused before chuckling slightly at the memory. Kotori's face heated up slightly at the light laughter from Maki. _Her voice really is beautiful… _Kotori thought. _I could listen to it forever. __  
><em>

"Well…seeing that I was still a child, patients in the hospital would often confide or talk to me and I'd try my best to make them smile. I was innocent and young then. As I grew up, I've learnt more about the different types of patients and I've even met their family members sometimes. And now…I'm a doctor too so I guess…that seeing all sorts of situations in the hospital has made me realise how precious and fragile life is, and that we have to cherish the life we have here and now, before it's too late."

Kotori smiled. _So this is the real Maki-chan. _The taupe haired woman felt that she'd understood her team's leader more now. The maturity and calmness she exuded out was unlike anyone she'd seen before and Kotori felt like she wanted to get along with the red haired doctor even more, to talk to her more, and of course, to make her make those adorable expressions again.

"Say, Maki-chan, you said that you worked in the hospital right? Do you work near here?"

The red haired doctor shook her head, "No. I work in Tokyo."

Kotori gasped and a delighted and cheerful look crossed her features at the discovery. "Me too! I'm working in Tokyo too~"

"R-Really?"

"Yep~" Kotori nodded. Somehow, the thought that both of them worked in Tokyo had made her really happy. It also meant that after all of these, there would still be chance for them to meet.

"What do you work as then?" Maki asked curiously.

"I'm a fashion designer," Kotori answered with a bright smile, causing Maki's heart to start pounding irrationally again.

"Fashion…designer…?" Maki repeated.

"Yep~ I'm a freelance fashion designer though I've created a brand of my own."

_Wait. Minami Kotori… Fashion…designer…Could it be…?_

"Minalinsky!" Maki gasped out in surprise as a realisation suddenly dawned upon her.

"How did you know?" Kotori titled her head to the side cutely. She was surprised that Maki had made the connection. After all, she never did use her real name when she created _Minalinsky_.

"W-Well…how should I say this…I have a friend…who really likes the clothes you design. She tends go on about how great you are and I think she told me once that she finally found out the real name of the creator of _Minalinsky."_

"I see, so that's why…" Kotori mumbled. "Could you keep it a secret though? It'd be bad if people knew how I looked like…" Kotori closed an eye as she asked Maki, clasping her hands together, as if in prayer.

"S-Sure…" Maki managed to say as she tried to calm her wildly beating heart. _Jeez! Why is she so adorable?_

"Thank you, Maki-chan~"

"Y-You're welcome…"

"But aren't you busy? As a fashion designer." Maki suddenly asked.

"Yes, I am but…I'm on a month break now. I figured I should help more people out, to help those in need, that's why I've decided to come here. Besides, I do have most of the basic medical knowledge, so it's an added advantage right?"

"I see…" Maki offered a smile at the taupe haired fashion designer's answer.

The two lapsed into a comfortable silence before Maki spoke out, "Shall we get back to work?"

"Yep, let's."

* * *

><p>It has been exactly three weeks since Maki had parted with Kotori.<p>

They had parted on good terms, hoping that they had a chance to meet again someday. Well, it be exact, Kotori was the one who said that, while Maki was just being her stubborn and embarrassed self.

Maki had wanted to ask for Kotori's phone number, and when had finally worked up the courage to ask, Kotori had answered with a sheepish smile that she had lost her mobile phone before she came and hadn't had the time to get a new one, so she was unable to give Maki her number.

The red haired doctor had stared at Kotori for five whole seconds before looking away, utterly embarrassed.

Maki sighed as she leaned against the sofa of the hospital café.

For the nth time, Maki thoughts drifted to a certain taupe haired woman. No matter how much she tried to immerse herself in her work, she could not forget Kotori. She had blamed it on the fact that Kotori was one of the few people who was able to open her anti-social heart, yet she knew that wasn't the case. She wasn't that dense and she had a suspicion as to what her feelings had meant. Not that she'd ever admit it. It just wasn't possible, Maki had reasoned, to feel like that for someone after knowing them for even less than a week.

Sighing again, the red haired doctor picked up her cup of coffee and took a small sip.

Just as she had set down her coffee back on the glass table, a sudden force against her body had knocked the wind out of her.

"W-Wha–"

"Maki-chan~"

"Who–"

"I'm glad to see you~" a familiar high pitched and cheery voice assaulted her ears.

"K-Kotori?!" Maki eyes widened and her mouth gaped open in utter shock. _H-How…and why…?_

"Hehe~ I'm glad I got to see you again Maki-chan~ You're as cute as ever, being so embarrassed like that~" Kotori beamed at the flustered look Maki was sporting now.

"Why are you here though?" The red haired doctor finally asked when she got Kotori off her, not without some difficulty.

"Eh? Oh…I was visiting a friend of mine who's been hospitalised. And it so happened to be the hospital that you worked in."

"I-I see…" Maki murmured. Maki hadn't expected that she would see Kotori that soon, and she was utterly unprepared for the taupe haired woman's sudden appearance. Wait, why did she need to be prepared for –

"Maki-chan, could you lend me your mobile phone for a second?"

"Eh? S-Sure…" Maki handed her mobile phone to the other woman.

"Here you go!" Kotori returned Maki her mobile phone after tapping on it for several seconds. "I've given you my number, like you wanted the other day."

"T-Thank you…"

"Contact me whenever okay, Maki-chan? I've got to go now." Kotori gave the doctor one last smile before she waved and left the café, leaving Maki staring after the disappearing figure, grasping her mobile phone tightly. It was also then that she allowed an ear-splitting grin to emerge from her face.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

Review Replies

Noctsuke Yukimura: Thank you~! Request accepted! I'll go for KotoUmi in that case, since it should be really interesting and fun to write :3 Gender-bend AU? Hmm... that's pretty interesting. If you don't mind, I'll do it in a separate fic since this particular fic is solely for yuri pairings :) Sorry about that!

ihavenoidea: MakiPana?! I can't say no to that! *_* MakiPana is really adorable! It's a viable and potential ship that not many are thinking of boarding...

kryuu27: Thank you! And Yep, it's actually up next! Look forward to it~

Bleach010915: Hmmm I don't understand Spanish (I think you're writing in spanish right?) but since I'm seeing the word "gusta", thank you! :)

Enya Talisman: Tsk, you pervert XD Well, I shouldn't be the one saying that since I'm the pot that is calling the kettle black! aaaand I doubt either Nozomi or Nico would secretly film them. Nico wouldn't, I'm sure but given the chance, I'm sure Nozomi would ;)

Jaez: Thank you~ Hopefully this chapter is to your liking! aaaand I'll be happy if you do follow this fic~ :D (yes, I'm shameless and have a very thick skin)

Major Mike Powell III: No, thank _you _so much! (hahahaha)

* * *

><p>I apologise for the long wait this time. I was busy helping a relative of mine with her course assignments and I was out yesterday and today attending AFA SG 2014. As a fan, I just had to attend Mimorin's and Soramaru's Love Live! Special Stage event. (I was there for fripSide, LiSA, and the Idolmaster appearance and fate staynight UBW event as well) Anyway...

Wooohooo~ Hit the 100 reviews mark! **THANK YOU PEOPLE! **(even the bold, caps and exclamation marks can't fully express my heartfelt thanks to you guys) Thank you, from the bottom of my heart! And a huge thank you those who followed and favourited this fic as well!

To be honest, I'm not really satisfied with this chapter T_T Maybe I'll try a high school KotoMaki next time. T_T


	17. Chapter 17

Pairing: Eli X Umi

Rating: K+

Chapter: _Spending Christmas with you._

In which Eli and Umi are out on a date during Christmas.

* * *

><p>It was snowing.<p>

Tiny snowflakes could be seen falling down from the dark sky that had emerged after the sun had retreated, contributing to the small piles of snow that had accumulated at the sides of the road.

Whiteness mixed with bright colours of Christmas lights adorned the roofs of many shops along the streets.

Throngs of people, most of them in pairs or groups, huddled close together as they laughed and chatted merrily while walking down the streets.

It was really cold, a certain blonde noted as she pulled her beige coloured scarf further up to where her nose was before rubbing her gloved hands together to generate some heat. She was used to the cold back in Russia, and the winter in Japan was not as strong as those back in Russia. Yet, there she stood alone, shivering under one of the bright and colourful Christmas tree that stood in the middle of the junction of streets.

Eli sighed as she checked her watch for the fifth time. It wasn't like her girlfriend to be late, and she was getting a little worried and concerned. What if she had simply forgotten? At that thought, the pony tailed blonde shook her head inwardly; there was no way Umi would have forgotten their date. Much less on Christmas! But what if something happened on the way? The blonde paled at that thought. It was no use - Eli couldn't stop thinking about reasons why her girlfriend was late. She tried to check her cell phone again, to see if there were any messages.

None.

_Maybe I should call her..._Eli thought to quietly herself, her fingers hovering around the screen of her phone.

"Eli!" A sudden yet familiar voice called out from a distance and Eli immediately snapped upwards, her aqua eyes scanning through the crowds for the owner of the voice.

"Sorry, I'm late!" A figure was running towards her, panting heavily.

"U-Umi!" A sense of relief washed over the older girl at the sight of the bluenete. The relief immediately vanished, replaced by another set of worry as Umi stopped in front of her, gasping for breath, sweat glistening at the top of her forehead.

"I'm so sorry E- " Umi began in between her breaths but was interrupted a suddenly force pouncing onto her.

"E-Eli?!" The younger girl stammered, face flushed at her girlfriend's sudden hug.

"I'm glad," Eli murmured against the younger girl as she tightened her hold on the blue haired girl, "I'm glad that you're here, that you're alright or that you didn't forget about me..."

"Silly, I won't ever forget about you," Umi smiled as she pulled the older girl closer towards her. Ever since she'd gotten together with Eli, Umi had been more comfortable with the display of public affections - well, mostly hugs since she would still be highly tensed and embarrassed when Eli tried to kiss her in public.

"Then again, I really have to apologise for being so late," Umi's voice was laced with guilt as she broke the embrace.

Upon closer inspection, Eli noticed that not only was the bluenete sweating, her kendo sword was slung over her the back of her midnight blue jacket. In her right hand, a sandy brown paper bag could be spotted.

"Umi..." Eli whispered as the blue haired girl smiled warmly before handing the older girl the paper bag. "Thought I should buy something for you to make up for my lateness..." She then looked away, an embarrassed smile on her face, "Besides...I...I mean...as your girlfriend, I thought I should give you something as a Christmas present."

That elicited a slight blush from the taller blonde as she bashfully accepted the gift. "Thank you, Umi." Gratitude and genuine affection rang through the blonde's words as she gave the younger girl a quick peck on her cheek.

Eli then giggled when Umi started to blush brightly, touching her warm cheeks with a dazed expression.

_How cute~_ Eli thought, repressing another set of giggles. _Umi really is cute after all~_

"By the way, Umi..." The quarter Russian suddenly asked, "Why are you carrying your shinai?"

Umi blinked twice before sighing, "My father suddenly told me to participate in a Christmas show over at the main family branch." The second year than grimaced, "I had to go against my first cousin in a mock battle. I didn't think it would take that long and I had initially wanted to somehow sneak off since I had a date with you but my father was keeping an eye on me. I tried to end the fight as soon as I could and tried to get here as fast as I can but I guess I was still late." Umi said remorsefully.

"You could've postponed our date at a later time." Eli sighed worriedly, "Look at you now, all sweaty in the cold."

"It's okay. I wanted to see you as soon as possible. That's why-" Before Umi could finish her sentence, Eli had pounced onto her again with another warm hug.

"E-Eli..!"

"You're such a sweet and adorable girlfriend~" The blonde couldn't help herself.

"E-Eli! Everyone's been watching us you know!" Umi hissed, embarrassed as many people have stopped to look at them for quite some time now since they had been standing there for quite some time now.

"Aw, okay..." Eli faked a pout.

Umi gulped. _"_Alright, Alright...I'm sorry..." The blue haired girl finally sighed. _  
><em>

In answer, Eli had grabbed Umi's hand before pulling her away from the crowd.

"W-Wait! Where are you-"

"Just follow me~" Eli grinned, tightening her grasp on Umi's hands.

* * *

><p>Once the couple had reached their destination, Eli released Umi's hand.<p>

"I-Isn't this...a high-class restaurant?" She whispered into Eli's ear. "This is..." Umi couldn't help but gape at the exquisite design of the Italian restaurant.

"The restaurant we're dinning at!" Eli announced cheerfully. "C'mon!" The blonde immediately pulled the bluenete in. Almost immediately, a young waiter in suit came forward.

"I have a reservation for two under Ayase Eli," Eli told the waiter who gave her a slight nod before checking and confirming the reservation at the counter.

"Follow me, Ayase-san," The waiter said politely, smiling sweetly- too sweetly in Umi's opinion, before bringing them further in, to a secluded corner.

Umi could feel many set of eyes on both Eli and her. She gulped and tugged at the ends of the blonde's sky blue coat, "E-Eli! Everyone's staring at us..."

"Let them," Eli said calmly as she held the younger girl's hand to reassure her, "They're probably just curious or judging us by our outfit and age. It isn't often that they see two high school girls dinning here." Eli thought for second before adding, "Maybe they recognise us as school idols of Muse..."

"R-Really?" Umi felt really uncomfortable with all the stares. Not even being a school idol had prepared her for this- being stared openly at in restaurants.

Once the couple had reached their seats, Eli pulled out the chair for Umi with a affectionate smile, causing the younger girl's face to redden slightly as she murmured her thanks. Eli then sat at the seat opposite of Umi.

The waiter bowed at them before handing them their menu, sending a flirtatious grin over to the blonde, which went unnoticed by the said girl.

By then, Umi already had enough of the waiter. The smile on the waiter's face had irked her, and she considered using her shinai to slice the young man into two.

"I'll be back shortly, so please do take your time to look through the menu," the young waiter smiled again and sent a wink over to Eli, much to Umi's chagrin. Eli seemed to be oblivious to it as her eyes were only focused on the bluenete in front of her.

Unfazed, the waiter went away.

"What's wrong, Umi? You looked like you wanted to kill someone." Eli joked lightly, upon noticing the slightly angered and peeved look on her girlfriend's face.

"That waiter was flirting with you, Eli." Umi said bluntly, clearly unhappy.

"Aw, you know I only have eyes for you, Umi." the quarter Russian offered a smile.

"I know but..." The bluenete sighed. "I just..."

"I understand..." Eli suddenly looked thoughtful. "You have lots of admirers in school too..."

"B-But...Eli...you have more admirers than me!" Umi sputtered out, not without blushing.

"True but it gets on my nerves every time some underclassmen goes 'kyaa' each time you shoot an arrow..." Eli pouted. Really, she had to restrain herself from abusing her authority to ban students not in the Kyudo club to not go near the dojo.

"T-That's..." The bluenete couldn't help another set of blush rising up her cheeks again. Oh why was she always blushing and a stammering mess in front of her girlfriend? It had been a few months already, for heaven's sake! Why couldn't she get away from her usual shy and easily embarrassed self?

"Let's not talk about that," Eli finally said. "You can order whatever you want from the menu. It's my treat~"

"E-Eh?! B-But- "

"No buts~" Eli pressed her index finger against Umi's lips, before repeating softly, "My treat."

The archer could only nod as she looked through the menu. Her eyes immediately bulged out when her mocha eyes scanned across the page and read the price. _It's so expensive. _Umi couldn't believe her eyes. She looked up at Eli, almost in panic, only to see the blonde humming happily to herself._  
><em>

The same waiter was already back with a small clipboard with paper and a pencil.

"So what will you order, Miss?" The waiter smiled gallantly at Eli.

Umi wanted to wipe that smile off the man's face immediately with her shinai.

"Umi, what do you want?" The blonde asked the girl opposite her before Umi could grab her shinai.

"I-I'll just have whatever you're having..." Umi said, hoping that whatever Eli ordered wouldn't be too expensive.

"Alright then," Eli turned back to the still smiling waiter to make the order while Umi kept chanting in her mind. _No, I can't hit him with my shinai. Please control yourself Umi. Please control yourself. Please control yourself..._

"Thank you," Umi heard the older girl say and it was also then that she realised that she didn't catch what Eli had ordered.

* * *

><p>"...I'm so <em>so <em>sorry, Eli!" Umi apologised for the nth time as the couple walked along a long stretch along the river.

The young waiter back in the restaurant had kept coming back even after the food was served, trying to flirt with Eli and at last when Umi couldn't stand it, she'd recklessly picked up her shinai in her blind anger and had pointed it against the neck of the waiter with a murderous look.

Luckily, they were seated in a secluded area and the other customers couldn't see them but the unexpected threat from Umi had caused the young waiter to back off immediately with fear and eventually, the manager had apologised for his staff's rude behaviour, though not without expecting the duo to leave as soon as possible as well.

"It's alright, Umi." Eli said again. Really, she wasn't mad or angry at Umi at all. She understood where the younger girl was coming from after all.

"I'm ruining this date aren't I?" The bluenete said quietly as she stopped walking, a hint of sorrow could be heard behind her words. "Firstly, I came late and made you wait. I also made you worried...and then I got us kicked out of a restaurant that you specially reserved a table for our date." By then, Umi was downcast as she clenched her fists tightly.

"Umi...You're not ruining the date at all!" Eli said with conviction as she forced the younger girl to look at her. Her eyes widened at the sight of tears that were brimming at the edge of Umi's eyes.

"Don't cry!" Eli whispered, brushing her thumb over the tears. "Umi, spending time with you is all I care about. I don't care if you're late, or that you caused us to get kicked out of a restaurant. I love you so much that I could care less about all of those! So long as you're with me...it's fine." The blonde said fiercely, her azure eyes piercing and full of adoration for the younger girl.

"Eli..."

The taller girl smiled gently as she brought her face closer to the younger girl, brushing her lips over Umi's reddened cheeks.

"I...I love you too..."

"I know~" The quarter Russian pulled the younger girl into an embrace, to which the bluenete tightened her arms around the taller blonde.

_Warm_...Umi subconsciously thought as she leaned against the older girl's chest, engulfing herself in the warmth from the older girl. Just by being with Eli, Umi felt that all her worries were gone, any sadness that she previously had were gone as well, and she felt safe and at home.

* * *

><p>"Have you opened the present I gave you?" Umi asked curiously as the two now sat on a bench in the park, hand in hand. Although it was nearly ten in the night, the two were still out, though the park was now relatively empty.<p>

"Nope," Eli answered.

"Aren't you going to open it?"

"Not until I give you this~" The blonde said before digging out small black box from her bag.

"This is...?"

"My present for you~ Merry Christmas, Umi~!" Eli grinned as she passed the box over to blue haired girl.

"T-Thank you, Eli..." Umi returned the smile. Her heart had started to race as she wondered what the box could contain.

"Then, shall we open our presents together?" The older girl suggested.

Umi nodded and at the count of three, the two girls opened their presents together.

Umi could only stare, mouth agape at the golden item in the box. A warm feeling penetrated through her heart, dispersing throughout her body as she grasped the box tightly, her hands trembling as she removed the golden item.

Eli wasn't faring any better. The silver item in the box found in the paper bag had rendered her speechless. She didn't think Umi would get her such a present, yet an immensely warm feeling had settled in her heart. Astounded yet feeling that Umi might not have been as dense as she thought she was when it came to love, the blonde could only grin like a happy fool she was at the gift her girlfriend had given her.

Eli had given Umi a golden Rolex watch with both of their names carved next to each other on the strap of the watch.

Umi had given Eli a silver heart-shaped key necklace, their names carved on the small wing sprouting out from the heart.

"It's beautiful..." Eli murmured as she held the necklace close to her heart, holding back the tears in her eyes. "Thank you, Umi." The blonde whispered softly.

"Thank you too, Eli. The watch is beautiful as well." Umi smiled, "It seems like the both of us had the same idea."

"You're right." The quarter Russian chuckled. Who would've thought that the both of them would give each other an accessory with both of their names carved on it. Umi was immediately glad that she'd asked Kotori for advice. Although it had been embarrassing for her to go to the shop to actually choose and get the necklace, as well as to have their names carved on it, she was glad that she had- it had been worth it, and she would gladly do it again, if only to see the delighted smile on Eli's face again.

The blue haired girl couldn't help but stare at the taller girl, who was still holding the necklace close towards her, as if it was something really special that she couldn't bear to let go. The pure azure eyes had held endless and infinite love and affection for her had made the bluente's heart pound erratically against her chest. Eli really was beautiful, Umi thought. The sheer beauty in front of her was something the blue haired archer could never get used to. Each time she laid her eyes on her Eli, she would never fail to be enraptured by the sapphire orbs.

The more she thought about it, the quicker her heart pounded against her chest. Without thinking, Umi reached forward, her lips coming in contact with Eli's supple pink lips. The blonde's eyes went wide. At the same time, Umi realised what she'd done and tried to pull away but Eli locked her lips with Umi's, hugging the bluenete tightly, not letting her go.

"E-Eli- mmph!"

"Umi..." Eli murmured as she kissed the bluenete again.

Slowly, and gradually, the blonde could feel the younger girl relaxing into the kiss- the fact that they were in public, or the fact that they could be recognised went forgotten, as the two held their precious gifts tightly in one hand, clasping the other free hand together, their fingers intertwining, the kiss that they had moulded into causing their hearts to become one.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **

Review Replies:

ihavenoidea: YES, that's it! That's one of things I'm missing! A kiss on the cheek...! And I wanted Kotori to give Maki a small Kotori plushie that she made herself too! Damn. I've completely forgotten about that! I'll probably include that in the next KotoMaki chapter...

Enya Talisman: Thank you! And Umi X Nico? I can only promise that I'll try my best! T_T It seems kinda hard but no worries! I'll make it happen...somehow. Now that I think about it, you are about the only one who has written a UmiNico fic too...that could be a good reference point...

Major Mike Powell III: Thanks! Mama Nishikino and Principal Minami in a romantic situation? Request accepted! Though it'd be hard to do something of_Roxius's _level - Since I've read it (It's really good!) it kinda sets some sort of bar? (I know you've read his/her fic "A Revived Love" ;))

kryuu27: Hehehe, thanks! Hope that you'll like this chapter! Your prompt was about a scene in Christmas...well this is more than "a scene" and since you didn't elaborate on what kind of scene, I took the liberty to expand on it. Hope I didn't disappoint!

FanofMaki: Thank you! I'll probably do another KotoMaki since I wasn't really satisfied with the previous chapter XD

sb227: Thank you! Maki's my favourite too~ Though Kotori is definitely somewhere at the top too!

Dash24zappshift: Thank you! Request for NicoKoto accepted!

Jaez: Hey there! Thanks for using your newly created account to follow and review this fic! Thank you! :D NozoMaki's actually up next (since someone requested it beforehand) but you have to wait for a bit for KotoEli!

* * *

><p><span>Note<span>: shinai = kendo/bamboo sword that people uses during a kendo match or practice.

Also, about the Rolex watch...that's about the only famous brand of watches that I know of, besides G-Shock. And...I have no idea if you can actually have a customised watch made with the carving of people's name on it...so take it with a pinch of salt...

This is a prompt by **_kryuu27_**, so the basic plot line belongs to him/her!

And I wished I could've written a better ending for this chapter.

Next up, It'll be an _Eli X Maki_ (prompt by kryuu27 as well) along with _Nozomi X Maki!_ (yay for Maki! Banzai!).


	18. Chapter 18

Pairing: Eli X Maki

Rating: K+

Chapter: _I-I'm not jealous! _

In which Eli is surrounded by her fans during Valentine's Day while Maki watches in a corner.

* * *

><p>Maki hated to think that she was jealous. That would mean that she was petty, unconfident and unassured…right? Which she totally wasn't. Or so she thought. She didn't want to come off as someone who wasn't mature enough to trust her own girlfriend, or to believe in herself, for that matter. But no matter how hard she tried to squash these unwanted feelings that were burning inside her, it only rose further as more and more students started to surround Eli.<p>

The red haired girl clicked her tongue in annoyance as she peeked from behind a wall, silently observing the scene in front of her.

Eli was surrounded by many underclassmen, and some, Maki realised with a start, were her classmates. All the girls were trying to give the third-year chocolates and gifts. Shouts and exclamations of "Ayase-senpai" could be heard.

Maki scowled at the scene before her. The fact that all of Eli's fans were surrounding her wasn't sitting well with her as irritation and an indescribable feeling – something akin to a combination of frustration and melancholy – struck her from within.

It didn't help that Eli loved chocolate as well and that it was Valentine's Day.

Eyes narrowing, the red haired first year continued to observe the scene in front of her. She could tell that Eli was politely declining the chocolates with a wry smile on her face. And then –

_"A-Ayase-senpai! I've admired you for a long time, way before you joined Muse…I…I like you! Please accept this!"_

Maki's mind blanked as an uncomfortable feeling settled at the pit of her stomach. _A girl…just confessed to…Eli. _Maki couldn't help but stare as a sense of dread filled her. An indescribable ache tugged at her heart as a wave of forlorn washed over her. She didn't understand why. She knew that Eli would not accept the confession but why was it that she still felt so uneasy, angry and frustrated all at the same time?

"Oh, someone here seems jealous?" a familiar kansai-accented voice spoke from behind her suddenly.

"N-Nozomi!" Maki's eyes widened at the sight of the purple haired third year. What was she doing here? "I-I'm not–"

"Let me help you out~" Nozomi grinned mischievously as she raised her hands, curling her all ten fingers, as if trying to make a grasping motion.

_Don't tell me–_

The composer visibly paled as she tried to escape immediately.

Unfortunately, she was too slow.

Before she could even turn around, bare hands made contact with her chest.

* * *

><p>Eli wished that someone, <em>anyone<em>, she knew would pass by her. Preferably someone from Muse. She wanted to get out from there, to disappear, to dig a hole so that she can bury herself in it.

Although Eli was used to being surrounded by her fans, she was horrified when she opened her locker when she came to school. Boxes of chocolate, whether wrapped or in small gift bags or small pouches came tumbling down. It was worse than last year when she was just the Student Council President. This year however, since she'd joined Muse, her popularity seemed to have shot up. Well, according to Nozomi anyway. She hadn't believed it at first until she confirmed it first-hand that morning.

Eli then thanked the heavens that Maki wasn't with her that morning. She didn't want to think how her girlfriend would react.

Sighing inwardly but putting on a smile as a front, Eli tried to reject the chocolate that she was receiving from her fans. Hell, even if she loved chocolate, how could she accept all of them?! Besides, despite her love for chocolate, she would not accept them since she had Maki already. Furthermore, it wouldn't be fair for her fans if she accepted them. Since she clearly couldn't return their feelings. The only chocolate she'd accept would be from the red haired girl (although she has yet to give it to her and the blonde wondered why).

"A-Ayase-senpai!" A girl suddenly spoke out loudly. "I've admired you for a long time, way before you joined Muse…I…I like you! Please accept this!"

Eli blinked and realised that the girl was thrusting out a small rectangular box. "Y-You like chocolate right, Ayase-senpai! Please accept this, along with my feelings!"

_How did she know that I like chocolate? _Eli frowned inwardly. It wasn't as if she went around saying or advertising the fact that she loved chocolate. _Wait a minute. Don't tell me – Nico. _

The raven haired girl had to be the one who included this piece of information in their webpage. Even though she told her not to do that until Valentine's Day was over! That cunning, sly–

"Ayase-senpai!" The girl called again. She looked on the verge of tears and guilt arose within Eli's heart. There was no way she could accept this girl's gift. She knew that the girl was genuine and sincere, and she knew that it probably had taken a lot of her courage to even confess to her in such a crowd. No matter how sorry she felt for the younger girl, Eli couldn't accept the gift and the girl's feelings. After all, she was in love with someone else already.

And thus, Eli could only smile sadly and gently at the girl in front of her.

"I'm sorry. I really appreciate your feelings and I feel flattered and honoured, but…I really can't accept the gift. I hope you'll understand where I'm coming from. And…" Eli blushed slightly before admitting quietly, "I…already have a special someone…so…I'm really sorry."

The junior in front of her looked crushed as she tried to hold back the tears that were threatening to fall down her cheeks. Eli couldn't do anything as she looked at the girl quietly.

"I…I-I understand," the girl's voice trembled. "I-I'm sorry!" And then she ran away, pushing through the crowd, escaping down the hallway.

_I'm sorry. It looks like I broke another heart today. _

Taking in a breath, Eli turned to the crowd with a slight smile, "I'm sorry but I can't accept any gifts to– " Before she could finish her sentence, a loud scream rang across the hallway.

_That voice… _

_Maki!_

Worry and concern immediately sprang from within Eli as she immediately pushed through the crowd with a quick apology before she ran to the source of the scream.

Heart clenching with fear, the blonde rushed towards the scream blindly.

The sight of Maki slumped against the wall, caused the blonde to gasp as she made her way towards her girlfriend.

"M-Maki!"

"E-Eli…" Maki groaned out as she tried to stand up.

"Maki! What happened?! I heard your scream and–"

"I-I'm fine…" Maki sighed, before looking away, gritting her teeth. "That Nozomi–"

"Nozomi?" Eli echoed.

"Y-Yea. Nozomi…" Maki trailed off before gulping at the look in the blonde's blue eyes.

"What did she do?" Eli asked sweetly. Maki paled at the sweetness that was dripping out from her girlfriend's voice.

"She…uh…g-groped…me…" The red haired girl finally admitted. "S-She took me by surprise so…"

"I see."

"Um…Eli…?"

"Where did she run off to?" Eli asked calmly.

"Here, Elichi~" a sudden voice answered the blonde.

"Nozomi!" Eli hissed, "Who gave you permission to grope my – "

"Ara, I was just helping both of you out. Elichi, you were stuck with your fans right? Maki-chan was watching too you know, so I merely found a way to get you out of the situation and for you to notice Maki-chan too." The turquoise eyed girl smiled, unaffected by the anger dissipating from her best friend as she moved beside Maki.

"Eli, it's okay," Maki sighed, running her hand through the locks of her scarlet hair. Nozomi's just trying to help us, albeit in her own weird way."

"So long as the both of you understand~" The purple haired girl smiled before she turned away, "I'll leave the two of you here. Don't take too long! Honoka-chan's expecting us soon~"

When Nozomi had left, Eli turned to the red head. "Are you okay, Maki?"

The first year nodded, "I'm fine."

"Thank goodness…I thought something bad happened to you when I heard your scream. I was scared and panicking." Eli admitted as she leaned against the wall.

At that, warmth filled Maki's heart as she allowed herself to smile slightly.

"But what why were you hiding? You could've just called out to me." Eli questioned. _And it would allow me to escape from my fans too. _She added quietly in her mind.

"Well…you were with your fans who were all trying to give you your favourite food! Besides, a girl confessed to you! Shouldn't you feel happier?!" Maki retorted before wincing inwardly. She hadn't meant to sound so angry.

"Maki? Are you…perhaps…jealous…?" Eli frowned.

"W-Wha– I'm not– "

"Then why are you so upset?" Eli asked softly.

"I-I…I don't like seeing so many students, especially your fans, surrounding you!" Maki burst out.

"You do know that I love you right?"

"I-I do! I do but…" Maki's voice trembled, "But…I just can't help it! My feelings…for you… I can't keep it in. Sometimes…I… I feel that I'm the one who loves you more and I keep thinking that someone would take you away from me. I didn't want that! I know I'm being irrational but… this fear of losing you…" The younger girl's voice broke slightly, "I can't control my feelings…"

"Maki…" Eli heart ached. It felt as if she was pierced by a knife – Maki's words and trembling voice cut through her and she wished that there was something she could do to relief the pained feelings the younger girl was holding.

It wasn't as if she could just ignore her fans since she was a school idol but to see her beloved suffering because of her had made her feel guilty. Unsure of what she should do but not wanting to see her girlfriend cry, the blonde pulled the younger girl towards her into an embrace, holding her tightly as she caressed the red tresses.

"I'm sorry, Maki, for making you feel that way. I don't know what I can do…or am supposed to do…but all I ask is that you will continue to believe in me. I'll never leave you, Nishikino Maki."

"Eli…"

"So don't worry! I'll always be by your side," Eli smiled warmly, ruffling the other girl's hair before planting a chaste kiss on the younger girl's cheek.

Blushing, Maki could only nod against the older girl's shoulder.

Eli continued to caress the younger girl for a few more moments before the red haired girl pulled herself apart from the blonde.

"…Actually…" The first year started before the red hue deepened on her face, "I…wanted to give you this." Maki mumbled as she took a small square gift box from the pockets of her blazer and presented it to the blonde.

"T-This is…"

"Chocolate. I…" Maki blushed even brighter as she twirled the ends of her hair, averting her gaze from the older girl. "...I made it myself…so…" she trailed off, unable to continue.

"_Harasho!_" Eli exclaimed, sparkles glittering in her azure eyes, "Thank you, Maki!" Eli grinned as she pulled the red head into another crushing hug.

"E-Eli!"

"Hehe~ Maki's homemade chocolate!"

_Sheesh. She's happy just because I made it… _Maki smiled before a thought crossed her mind, "But…you already have a lot of chocolate in your locker right?"

"Yea…" The blonde admitted with a sigh before she added hastily, "B-But I'm planning on returning them! I'll only accept chocolates from you~"

Maki thought her face was going to burst into flames.

"O-Of course! You can only accept chocolates from me!" The red head huffed defensively.

Eli giggled. _How adorable. _

"W-What are you laughing at?!"

"At how cute and adorable you are~" Eli teased, mirth dancing in her ocean blue orbs.

"W-Wha–" Maki thought her face was really going to combust as she stammered.

Eli only laughed further as Maki pouted.

Smiling to herself, Eli leaned forward and stole a kiss on the red head's lips.

"E-Eli…?!"

"To wipe that pout off your pretty face~" The older girl gave a child-like grin, rendering Maki speechless and as her mouth was left agape. The pony tailed blonde then took the chance to grab something from the pocket of her skirt.

"Here, Maki!" Eli handed a small bag of chocolate cookies to the red head. "I made this too, make sure you eat'em all up!"

"T-Thank you…" The red haired girl smiled, a little embarrassed. She was happy though, to receive the chocolate cookies from her beloved. Not that she would tell that directly to Eli, but still, Maki appreciated the fact that Eli had given her something.

"You're welcome!" Eli returned the smile with a wide grin of her own before she stuck out her hand, "Shall we head to the clubroom now? Honoka and the rest are still waiting for us."

"Yea, let's!" Maki grasped the extended hand offered, and allowed Eli to lead her to the clubroom.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

Review Replies:

Jaez: Thank you~ Yep, the both of them (Eli and Umi) are deeply in love in this chapter! Hopefully this EliMaki chapter isn't that bad either :) The previous EliMaki chapter...I doubt I'll be continuing it (Sorry!) x.x

kryuu27: Hehehe, thank you~

ihavenoidea: Hahaha, indeed they are~ I would like to believe that Eli is well-off since she was able to go to Japan to study. As for Umi...let's just say that she joined Kotori in Akiba to work~

Enya Talisman: Thanks~ But your story has an interesting concept! (Really!)

lovemaki: Great to know that NicoMaki shippers are open to more Maki ships! UmiMaki is fine~ But would it be fine if it doesn't continue from the previous UmiMaki chapter? Or do you want it to continue?

Msmusicful: EliUmi! EliUmi! EliUmi! They are so cute together~ (though I'm fully supporting KotoUmi but still!)

Dash24zappshift: Thank you, and you're welcome! Now, without the waiter, you wouldn't have such a nice mushy ending...no? ;)

Guest: Aye aye, captain! NozoEli is added to the queue.

IluvEliUmi: Hahaha, thank you! There's an EliUmi prompt in the queue so please be patient and wait for it~

PSA: Thank you!:) I'll do my best!

Major Mike Powell III: Thank you! Well, Umi does have ability to injure the waiter, even with a bamboo sword. Thank goodness she hadn't totally lost control and given in to her anger eh?

* * *

><p>This is a prompt by <strong><em>kryuu27 <em>**so the plot belongs to him/her!

I do realise that Umi was jealous due to other people's attention on Eli in the previous chapter too. Sorry! (not sorry at all)

Yay for all Maki fans!

**Note: **I don't know if I've mentioned this before but requests without prompts (just pairing e.g. NozoEli) would be treated as one chapter- meaning if two people suggest or request NozoEli without giving me a prompt/basic plot line or saying what they would like to be included, it will be treated as one request for the couple (if not the list will be too long). If a prompt is stated/given to me (e.g. EliMaki in a valentine setting in which Maki gets jealous), it would be treated as a chapter/one request.

Also, to clear things up, requested pairings (general ones like NozoEli, KotoUmi)after that particular pairing as been written are counted as well.


	19. Chapter 19

Pairing: Nozomi X Maki

Rating: K+

Chapter: _And so life goes on. __  
><em>

In which Maki wonders about her feelings for Nozomi while Nozomi keeps trying to find ways to tease her adorable junior.

* * *

><p>Maki had always wondered what was behind the all-knowing, mysterious and yet mischievous set of turquoise orbs. She wondered why Nozomi was so concerned about Muse, in general, and everyone in them. She wondered why the purple haired girl had gone all the way out to reach out to her, especially that time during their first summer training camp. Nozomi had specifically said that it wasn't for her sake, but now that she thought about it, she had a feeling that the older girl was lying.<p>

She'd also wondered when she started to wonder about all of these things.

"…Maki-chan! Maki-chan!" A sudden voice snapped her out of her thoughts. Blinking, the red haired girl turned to the source of voice, only to see bright turquoise staring back at her. Her face turned impossibly red as she flinched back with a loud squeal, causing the chair that she was sitting on to go out of balance and in a split second, she had crashed onto the floor with a loud thud, catching the attention of everyone else in the room.

"Maki-chan!" The purple haired girl in front of her called out worriedly. "Are you okay?!"

Wincing, the first year rubbed her bruised hip before stuttering, "I-I'm fine!"

"Really?" Nozomi continued to ask anxiously.

"Y-Yes!" Maki said hastily, as she tried to stand up.

"What's wrong?" Honoka asked from the other side of the room.

"N-Nothing! I just fell down…that's all!" The group's composer said quickly before smoothing the crease on her skirt and righting the chair up, her face burning from embarrassment and humiliation.

_Geez. It's all Nozomi's fault for having her face so close to me!_

Observing the obviously flustered expression on her junior's face, Nozomi couldn't help but tease, "Could it be that...Maki-chan…you're self-conscious?"

"E-Eh?!"

"Was I too close for your comfort?" The purple haired senior smirked as she took a few steps towards the red head slowly, her face now merely an inch away from Maki's. Maki could now feel the heat of the older girl's breath on her, tickling against her skin, sending shivers down her spine.

_Too close! She's too close!_

Maki's mind started to spin in panic, as heat rose to her cheeks.

"You're really red, you know that, Maki-chan?" Nozomi continued in a low voice, unable to tear her eyes away from the exquisite lavender orbs that adorned the first year's face.

"T-T-Too c-close!" Maki blurted out, taking an involuntary step back. She could feel her entire body bursting in flames. It was hot, unbearably hot and all she could do was to keep staring at the set of turquoise that seemed to be drawing her in, ensnaring her, causing her to be unable to look away.

_Too cute. She's too adorable. _Nozomi thought, trying to quell the increasing heat that was rising in her body. _And pretty too. _She added in her mind.

"Oh? Am I making you feel uncomfortable?" The turquoise eyes seemed to be dancing with hints of laughter as the purple head smiled innocently.

"N-Nozomi!" The red haired girl was extremely flushed, her heart pounding wildly against her chest.

"Yea?" The purple haired girl asked distractedly. _Maki's eyes are so pretty. It's almost as if...__  
><em>

"...You have pretty eyes..." Nozomi suddenly commented, boring her eyes into Maki's, still staring at her.

Maki thought she was going to be incinerated at the rate in which her body was still heating up rapidly. She didn't understand how Nozomi could say that with such a straight face. She could feel herself turning 20 shades redder at her senior's sudden compliment. She told herself that she wasn't happy at the compliment, that her heart didn't skip a beat at all - no, not at all. (Oh who was she kidding?)

Fortunately, a sudden voice interrupted them loudly, "What are the two of you doing? The meeting is still on-going."

That managed to snap both Maki and Nozomi out of whatever it was they were in and the two looked flustered as they went back to their seats.

As the club meeting continued, Maki stole a glance at the older girl and realised that Nozomi's face was still tinted a little red.

_How cute. _Maki thought to herself, repressing a smile. After all, it wasn't often that she got to see her senior who liked to tease people blush like that.

But what did that mean though?

* * *

><p>Nozomi groaned inwardly.<p>

She'd wanted to tease Maki for being distracted during their club meeting but it looked like she was the one who's getting distracted instead.

_I should have known better..._ Nozomi sighed inwardly. Unlike a certain red haired girl, Nozomi knew clearly that she had fallen for Maki. Not that she'll ever tell the red head. She'd tried to cope with it by teasing the younger girl. After all, she liked to see the different expressions on the red head's face. It was amusing and interesting after all. Besides, Nozomi thought, Maki really was cute and adorable when she's embarrassed, being all "dere" like.

But it seemed that teasing the red haired girl had its limits too.

She kept getting distracted by Maki's eyes - dear lord, how could her eyes be so beautiful, so alluring, so deep, and so clear - like a polished diamond? And why did the first year had to be so adorable?

And thus, Tojou Nozomi sunk deeper and deeper into the mysteries of why and how she had fallen for Nishikino Maki, failing to notice that her object of affections was staring at her with a confused look.

* * *

><p>Maki couldn't help but stare at Nozomi.<p>

She didn't know why but ever since that day where she fell off her chair, her eyes would inevitably trail to where the purple haired girl was.

It was as if she was drawn in by the magnetism that was inherent in Nozomi.

She kept wondering why the pig tailed girl was always smiling and teasing their friends and sometimes when the purple head thought no one was watching, a rare smile of content and affection for Muse had crossed her features, making Maki all the more interested in what the older girl really was thinking and feeling.

Even now, as she sat on the cloth laid out on the rooftop, her eyes were trained on the spiritual girl of Muse as she danced to the beat that Eli was producing by clapping her hands together.

"Who are you staring at, Maki-chan?" Honoka, who was siting beside her asked, as she gulped down whatever liquid was left in the water bottle.

"No one in particular..." Maki lied.

No one indeed.

* * *

><p>Nozomi was completely enraptured at the sight before her.<p>

Even though Maki was wearing her school uniform, shirt tucked out, blazer unbuttoned, Nozomi still thought that the red haired girl looked kind of cool.

And when the song _"Daring!" _started, Nozomi could not tear her eyes off the red head who was holding the microphone in one hand as she danced and sang to the song.

The whole performance was the embodiment of "cool" and the frequent flashing of the purple and red lighting around the stage in the pitched darkness had enhanced the cool effect.

The red haired girl's hand and body movements were smooth, fluid and if Nozomi didn't know better, she would've thought it was seductive.

Nozomi's throat went dry as Maki sent a flirtatious wink and smile towards the crowd, making the crowd go wild as red glow sticks light up the entire concert hall, pumped to the air, in lieu with the catchy rhythm.

She gulped and made sure to etch this particular performance into her mind.

And when the song ended, Nozomi only knew that she had fallen harder and deeper for the red haired girl.

* * *

><p>Maki thought Nozomi looked kind of cute as she watched her senior perform her solo song, <em>"Junai Lens", <em>even though her senior was also wearing her school uniform and blazer, tucked in and buttoned respectively.

The song had a nice beat and rhythm to it, though albeit unique in a sense that only Nozomi could pull it off.

It had a cute and happy ring to it - the song that is, Maki had thought, and despite the third year's mature stature, the red haired girl couldn't help but be drawn in by the sheer cuteness that her senior was exuding out.

Her hand and body movements were simple yet Maki was mesmerised.

And then Nozomi had grinned widely, sending a cute wink to the audience, causing the crowd to cheer loudly.

Maki wished that Nozomi had sent the wink to her instead.

* * *

><p>Nozomi knew that her inaction wasn't going to lead her non-existent love life anywhere.<p>

She knew that she probably should do something, take certain actions and measures to start getting the red haired girl to fall for her, or at least capture her interest, yet she couldn't bring herself to do that.

She was horribly passive, contented with the way things were.

She got to see Maki everyday, was able to tease her pretty much everyday too.

And that was enough.

Or so she tried to convince herself.

But Nozomi was good in convincing herself. She had pretty much been doing that her entire life, pretending that she was fine with how life turned out. Even when she was young, she had put up a front, isolating herself from others, believing that it was better off to be alone, so that she wouldn't be hurt.

But that facade had fallen apart when Maki began to grill her when she had stubbornly followed Eli and her back to her own apartment.

It was then Nozomi realised that she didn't want to lose Maki.

With graduation looming around the corner, she realised that she didn't want to lose the time she'd spent with Muse, and with Maki.

She didn't want to stop staring at the red haired, thinking of ways to tease her.

She didn't want to be unable to see her again.

She didn't want to regret not being able to tell her her feelings.

And so, Nozomi made a decision.

She would confess to Maki and whether she was accepted or rejected, she would accept the red haired girl's decision.

She stared at the neat deck of tarot cards that was sitting on her desk and decided to keep the cards in her bag.

She won't rely on her cards.

* * *

><p>"Maki-chan, I'm in love with you!" Nozomi's voice came out strong and clear, unwavering, as her eyes shinned with determination.<p>

Maki was taken aback and was at loss. As expected, her face was as red as her hair and she was extremely flustered, and her mind became blank.

"I...I..." The red head couldn't come up with the right words, couldn't even string letters into words together to form coherent sentences. Her thoughts were all in array, jumbled and messed up. She was flattered at the confession, yet she didn't understand why she wasn't disgusted. Instead, her heart was pounding wildly, and she had felt strangely excited.

She didn't understand it at first, why she was constantly looking at Nozomi, and why she wanted the purple haired girl to pay attention to her. She'd come to enjoy the constant teasing, even though it usually riled her up, making her extremely embarrassed.

Because it was Nozomi, that was why.

And then Nozomi confessed to her.

Suddenly, all the pieces to the puzzle clicked in.

She finally understood all the feelings she had for the particular pig tailed senior. It only took those five words and a couple of seconds to glue all the clues and hints together, acting as a catalyst for her to realise her feelings for the older girl.

Nishikino Maki was in love with Toujou Nozomi.

Maki was relieved that she finally figured out the strong feelings she had for her senior. Yet, trying to answer the purple haired girl's confession with one of her own wasn't as easy as it sounded, especially for a girl like Maki, who was prone to be easily embarrassed and had difficulties expressing how she felt.

But she had changed.

After meeting Muse and Nozomi had pried open her stoic and indifferent exterior, gradually, she was able to convey her feelings - not all of them, but enough to let her thoughts and feelings be known to the others.

And so, the red haired girl gathered up her courage, sucked in a deep breath to calm herself down, and returned a similar intense and determined look to the older girl.

"I...I-I..." Maki started to falter but the gentle, soft and loving look in Nozomi's eyes had strengthened her resolve. "I'm in love with you too, Nozomi."

Maki was rewarded with a megawatt smile and a huge hug from the Ex-Student Council Vice-President and the Goddess of Muse.

"Thank you, Maki-chan..." Nozomi whispered softly into Maki's ear.

Maki only tightened her grip around Nozomi's back in answer, letting herself be soothed and overwhelmed by the warmth and love from the older girl.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

...That was surprisingly hard to write. It wasn't supposed to go like this, after the first part where Maki fell off the chair.

And I feel that the hug scene has been overused. (OTL)

I do think that NozoMaki is a great pairing and in the anime (I can't say for sure in the manga), there are several interactions between the two that could sail the NozoMaki ship. It would be easier to write a NozoMaki chapter where they are already together, and Nozomi spends her time with/teasing Maki and Maki goes all "tsun" and "dere" but I guess I wanted to show how the two got together?

"_Daring!_" and "_Junai Lens_" are Maki's and Nozomi's solo songs from the "_Soldier game"_ and "_Otome Shiki Ren'ai Juku_" respectively. I have no idea if its "Darling!" or "Daring!" and since SIF spells it "_Daring!"_, I followed it. The songs are awesome by the way. "_Daring!"_ is kinda cool, and fits Maki's voice perfectly. Go watch the performance if you have around 2 to 3 minutes to spare. "_Junai Lens_" grew on me after a while, and Kussun (the seiyuu of Nozomi) looked pretty happy when she was performing that.

Next up, _NozoUmi! _


	20. Chapter 20

Pairing: Nozomi X Umi

Rating: T

Chapter: _May I order a rabbit?_

AU: In which Umi works part-time in a butler cafe which Nozomi often frequents.

* * *

><p>Straightening her black tie, a blue haired girl tied her long hair into a low pony tail. Checking that the crisp white shirt and midnight blue vest were presentably neat and smoothing out any creases that could be seen, the bluenete checked her appearance one last time in the mirror. Satisfied, Umi left the changing room.<p>

"Umi-chan~" The voice of her manager stopped her from leaving the staff quarters.

"Yes?" Umi turned to look at her ginger haired manager.

"Here, take this. I've decided the theme for today already~" The ginger haired woman grinned before handing the blue haired girl a set of black rimmed glasses. "Glasses Day!" The woman announced proudly.

"...Glasses..?" Umi accepted the glasses before looking at it suspiciously, "Are you sure something simple like this is going to work?"

"You don't understand, Umi-chan! There's a charm in wearing glasses! Especially girls like your kind!" The manager explained, her blue eyes shinning and sparkling. She had a good feeling about today and was confident that by having her workers here to wear glasses, it will definitely increase the number of customers. And thus she'd declared on good impulse that that day was "Glasses Day".

"...Really...?" The blue haired girl looked skeptical but wore the glasses given to her nonetheless. After all, her manager was the one in-charge and she couldn't defy her orders. Not that she would. She figured that wearing glasses was better than having to wear bunny ears like yesterday or a pirate outfit like the day before yesterday. Such things often made her self-conscious.

The ginger haired woman immediately gave her part-time worker a thumb up, "Yes, this look! I can already feel money rolling in..."

"...If manager-san says so then I guess..." Umi shrugged, not caring either way. The job here paid good and it had helped her overcome her general shyness when meeting strangers when she first started working here half a year ago. Besides, although her manager might be a little eccentric, coming up with the craziest ideas sometimes, it always worked - somehow. And so, just like any other special "themed" days, Umi trusted the ginger haired manager.

"Umi-chan! How many times do I have to tell you to call me by my name!"

"But you're my superior, I can't - "

"Umi-chan!" The bluenete's manager then scowled, "If you call me 'manager-san' again, I'll cut your pay."

"Y-You can't - "

"Hm? What's this? Are you talking back to your _ma-na-ger_?" The ginger head smirked, emphasising her title syllabically.

"G-Gah." Umi bit her lips before relenting, "Fine...Honoka-san."

"Just Honoka." The older woman insisted.

"...Honoka."

"Good! Now get all the girls out there, Umi-chan! Fight-o dayo!" Honoka pumped her fist up cheerfully.

Umi sighed and shook her head inwardly before reaching for the door knob.

* * *

><p>Bright lights assaulted her vision, causing the blue haired girl in her butler outfit to blink rapidly.<p>

"Ah, Umi!" A girl dressed in a similar white collared shirt but with a black blazer and a red bow tie called out to the bluenete.

"Eli?" Umi noted that her senior, both in her university and the cafe, was also wearing a similar looking black rimmed glasses, though the older girl's glasses were less rounded, and sharper at the edge. Admittedly, the older blonde did look pretty good in her outfit and glasses, although her usual pony tailed hair was gone, replaced by a short boyish blonde wig. Umi gave her senior another overall glance and commented, "You're planning on breaking all the girls' hearts today?"

"What, you jealous?" Eli teased, "Want to become my first?" The blonde smirked, mischief dancing in her azure eyes.

Umi shook her head before chuckling, "Sorry but no thank you."

"You could've worn a wig too, you know, Umi. You'd be pretty handsome too."

"No, not interested." The bluenete replied apathetically, "It's too much of a hassle. Besides, Eli, you're just wearing a wig for fun, aren't you?"

"You're right," Eli laughed, "But let's put it in a more positive way. The ladies who come by today would be treated to a rare sight~"

"And as usual, your ego is still huge." Umi snorted.

The blonde only laughed harder in response.

She then turned to look at the clock that was fixed to the wall of the cafe and realised that they are left with a couple of minutes before opening hours.

"Well, time's up," Eli stated before turning to Umi, "Today's 'Glasses Day' right? Did Honoka update the blackboard outside the cafe? If she did, could you help to flip the sign to 'open'? I'll be setting up the table wares in here. Thanks!"

"I'll check." Umi immediately answered as she made her way out of the cafe. The small bell that was attached to the top of the door rang slightly as Umi turned the knob.

As soon as the blue haired girl stepped outside, the autumn cold brushed against her, causing her to shiver slightly. It was only 8am in the morning and she could already see people walking along the streets, even though it was a Saturday morning. She would have thought most people would prefer to sleep in and rest longer due to a tiring week. Some people had turned towards her with a curious look to which she smiled slightly back. Well, having a butler cafe made up of females wasn't a common sight around here. Count on her eccentric manager to think of setting up her cafe at that particular location.

She then checked the cafe's blackboard and realised that her manager had indeed forgotten to change the theme. Sighing at her manager's absentmindedness, the blue haired girl erased the words - "Animal-themed Day" and wrote "Glasses Day" neatly, both in English and Kanji over it. She then thought for a while before adding a small drawing of a glasses near her neatly written words and the small set of animals that were drawn yesterday- presumably by Honoka.

"Alright then." Umi returned to the cafe, not before flipping the sign from 'close' to 'open'.

Since it was a Saturday morning, there wasn't any customers yet. From Umi's experience, customers might start to come in after 9am and it would be pretty crowded when afternoon slid in.

Leaning against the counter with nothing else to do, the blue haired butler gave the entire cafe a quick scan. The cafe wasn't really huge, yet the ivory-coloured walls, along with the smooth wooden flooring, as well as the whiteness of the tables and chairs gave the whole cafe a warm countenance. The marble counter that she was leaning against was also white, fitting in perfectly with the design of the cafe.

At a particular corner of the cafe, Eli had just finished setting up the table wares just as the door opened. The blonde took the initiative to greet their first customer of the day.

"Welcome to _Muse Cafe, _oujou-sama,__" Eli said smoothly with a slight bow before flashing a warm smile towards the girl, causing the said customer to flush slightly. Eli then led the customer to her table politely as she engaged in a friendly conversation with her.

At the same time, Umi had righted herself. _I wonder if she's going to be here today too. _Umi's thoughts led her to a certain purple haired girl that often frequent this cafe.

It was then the door opened again, and a familiar pig tailed girl with purple hair, wearing a simple cream coloured shirt and a sandy brown coat, paired with a blue skirt, entered. The sight of the girl caused Umi to stare for a solid second - it was as if time had stopped for that whole second - as she took in the girl's entire appearance. In the next second, she immediately snapped out of it, her butler instincts kicked in and she walked towards the door.

"Welcome to _Muse Cafe, __oujou-sama_," Umi smiled gently as she bowed, "Let me escort you to your seat."

* * *

><p>Despite it being 8am in the morning, and on a Saturday no less, Nozomi found herself walking towards a particular cafe -<em> Muse Cafe. <em>

Tightening her grip on the strap of her haversack, the purple head sighed. She had felt compelled to go the cafe that she had been going to for half a year. At first, she was only there since the environment was extremely quiet, the butlers there were nice and had let her be, and the food there were delicious and cheap too. The comfort from the quiet had allowed her to study there or to just read quietly, passing the hours of her mornings or evenings alone in peace.

But now, she found herself visiting the cafe even when she didn't need a place of peace and quiet.

All because of a certain blue haired butler.

She sighed again before rubbing her temples. To say that she wasn't attracted to the blue haired butler was a total lie. The bluenete was rather attractive, and had the ability to be beautiful and handsome the same time. But that wasn't what had drawn the purplete towards the blue haired girl. There were also other butlers in the cafe who were equally attractive - a blonde quarter Russian, called Ayase, if she remembered correctly, and a red haired butler who only did night shifts. Rather, what had drawn Nozomi towards the bluenete was her cool and melodious voice, her calm exterior that reminded her of the clear skies and blue sea, and the golden brown eyes that were serene, exuding tranquility and gentleness that she hadn't known that existed.

In the beginning, when she first laid her eyes on the bluenete, she had thought that the blue haired girl's stiffness and awkwardness was adorable. Evidently, the girl wasn't used to talking and serving strangers and since Nozomi hadn't seen her before, she figured that the bluenete was a new butler working in the cafe.

She was sure that after an embarrassing situation in which she had accidentally spilled a coffee onto a customer, the girl would quit but the bluenete had appeared again the next day, looking more determined. She had apologised to the manager profusely, again and again, until the ginger haired woman had threatened to cut her pay if she apologised again. Nozomi had chuckled slightly at the scene before returning to the novel she was reading.

Perhaps it was her determination, or her need to do things perfectly, that had drawn the blue haired girl to Nozomi. Nozomi had began to observed the bluenete ever since and found herself being unable to tear her eyes off the girl.

The blue haired girl wasn't a butler of too many words, unlike Ayase, yet as days passed by, the bluenete got better, stuttered less, and now, she was good at whatever she was doing. Even if she did stammered and stuttered, Nozomi found it to be adorable. How the bluenete's cheeks would flare up and how her lips would quiver in a shy and embarrassed manner had made her more curious about the butler and she wondered why chose this job since she was such a shy and awkward person.

Although she didn't know the reason yet, she found out that the blue haired girl was a university student and was working part-time. She also found out that the bluenete worked evening to night shifts during weekdays and morning shifts during the weekends. The blue haired butler was also a literature student in university, though she had to take over her family's dojo after she graduated.

And thus, there she stood, outside _Muse Cafe._

And of course, the only reason why she was there was due to a certain blue haired butler.

Nozomi took in breath before she entered the cafe.

As the small bell rang to signal her presence, a set of golden orbs settled on hers and Nozomi found herself blushing in spite of herself at the figure that appeared before her.

Umi was in her usual butler outfit _and _glasses on top of that.

Nozomi's throat felt dry as she stared at the pretty sight before her.

"Welcome to _Muse Cafe, __oujou-sama."_

Any regrets that Nozomi had with regards to not sleeping in and any doubts she had all flew out the window at that very instant as the purple haired girl let the melodious and smooth words of the bluenete soothe her ears.

* * *

><p>"You know, Umi, the purple haired girl definitely has the hots for you," Eli commented randomly when the two stood near the counter while waiting for the chef to finish preparing their orders.<p>

"W-Wha-" Umi stuttered as her face turned impossibly red.

"Well, I'm not surprised...Besides, isn't it too much of a coincidence that she's always here when you're taking the shift?"

"T-That's just a coincidence! There's no way-" Umi looked flustered.

"Really, Umi? It doesn't seem that way to me though," Eli looked thoughtful before she continued, "But you also seem to have an interest in her, no?"

"W-What are you talking about? I-I don't - "

"I've seen you staring at her every time she comes into the cafe," Eli reasoned, "Plus, I've served her a couple of times yet I couldn't seem to get her to engage in a decent conversation. Based on my observations, she only responds to you. It wounds me to admit this but she's probably the only one who doesn't respond to my 'advances'. Hey, Umi, do you like her?" Eli's expression turned serious.

"N-No, I don't- " Umi denied with a furious blush on her face. She wasn't in love with the purple haired girl who attracted her like a magnet. Eli was just making things up since she couldn't take a hit to her pride.

_Umi...you dense dolt. _Shaking her head, Eli reached for her order that the chef just placed on the counter.

"Thanks, Hanayo," Eli thanked the said chef. Hanayo nodded in acknowledgement.

She bid her co-worker a 'see you later' before she returned to her customer.

When Eli was gone, Umi frowned. She wasn't in love with the purple haired girl. Not in the slightest bit. And the purple haired girl wasn't in love with her. Eli was thinking too much into things, Umi reasoned. The bluenete was merely just curious about why the purple haired girl was here almost everyday. Her thoughts trailed back to her senior's words about how the purple head only responded to her. Maybe Eli was too direct in trying to engage in a conversation, was what she thought. But then again, Eli was a professional. She knew how to make the ladies comfortable, and was more than capable of changing her attitude and adapting to the different circumstances.

But upon closer inspection, the purple haired girl whose name Umi still didn't know was really beautiful. She'd noticed each time she got close to the girl that the bright turquoise orbs were simply captivating and on several occasions when her eyes lingered on the turquoise for a moment too long, she felt herself drawn and drowning in the depths of its colour. Somehow, the purple haired girl's countenance made her feel a little mysterious, yet mature at the same time. She was quiet, no doubt, since unlike most customers, the purple haired girl didn't talk to her much but on rare occasions, much to Umi's surprise, the turquoise eyed girl start talking to her.

Maybe Eli was right, Umi conceded. Her face then turned a shade darker. _But that can't be. _Umi immediately dismissed the thought. The girl couldn't have been in love with her. Not with someone like her, who was socially awkward and stiff.

She then wondered if she really did like the purple haired girl, just as Eli had suggested. Another blush threatened to rise to her cheeks. _I'm not in love with her. _Umi stated in her mind, as if saying it would make it true. However, the emotions and feelings in her body betrayed her mind as she felt her heart pound quicker. She wasn't in love with the beautiful purple head, Umi tried to convince herself again.

She wasn't in love, wasn't interested in how clear the turquoise orbs looked, wasn't interested in why the purple head's rare smiles would often cause heat to rise within her, or set her heart racing. She wasn't -

Umi groaned inwardly.

Eli was right.

She was falling for the purple haired girl.

* * *

><p>"Here's your deluxe breakfast meal, <em>oujou-sama,<em>" Umi spoke softly, her voice velvety, as she placed the plate gently onto the table.

"Thank you," Nozomi returned, smiling.

"Y-You're welcome, _o-ojou-sama,_" Umi managed to say as she tried to quell an arising blush. The purple haired girl's smile was too sweet. Just too damn sweet.

"Nozomi." The purple haired suppressed a grin that was trying to creep its way up to her face.

"Huh...?" The butler could only look dumbly at her "oujou-sama".

"Call me Nozomi. Not 'oujou-sama'," Nozomi giggled slightly.

"_O-Oujou-sama, _I can't - "

"I'm the 'oujou-sama' here aren't I? And this 'oujou-sama' demands that you call her by her name." Nozomi said with a straight face, though her voice sounded like she was teasing the blue haired butler.

"...Alright...N-Nozo...Nozomi-sama..."

"Nozomi." The purple haired girl insisted.

Umi wondered if Nozomi was related to Honoka.

"Nozo..mi..." Umi finally breathed out.

"Now, it isn't that hard right, Umi-chan?" Nozomi beamed at the girl in glasses.

_U-Umi-chan?! _Umi thought that her heart would jump out of her ribcage. Flustered, the blue haired butler could only nod. _Calm down, Umi. Calm down. Act as you usually do. Do your job. _Taking in a shaky breath, Umi offered a smile, "What else can I get for you or is there anything else you want to order, Nozomi?"

Smirking, the pig tailed girl said playfully, "May I order a rabbit?"

_What. _Umi's mind blanked at the incredulous words that spewed out from Nozomi's mouth.

"Rabbit...?" Umi echoed, wondering if her ears were playing tricks on her.

"Yep, A cute and shy rabbit who has impeccable manners and who seems to be wearing glasses today~" Nozomi allowed an ear splitting grin to cross her features.

Understanding immediately dawned upon Umi and her face immediately flamed.

"P-Please don't tease me, Nozomi..." Umi felt like strangling her manager for making her wear the bunny ears yesterday. She also didn't pegged the purple haired girl to be the teasing type. It seemed that appearances were deceiving.

"You're cute when you blush, you know that?" Nozomi ignored Umi's pleas. Besides, she was technically the 'oujou-sama' here. So she could be unreasonable as she wanted, she reasoned.

That only served the deepen the red hue on the bluenete's face, causing the said girl to stammer incoherently.

"Alright, alright~ I'll be serious now," Nozomi smiled, taking pity on the embarrassed butler. "May I order a mocha latte?"

"Sure. How do you want the latte art to look like?" Umi asked.

"Like you~" Nozomi immediately answered, still smiling.

"...I'm afraid that isn't on the menu." Umi deadpanned. It seemed Nozomi had messed up her rhythm and whatever manners she had, or whatever manners a butler like her should have.

"I was just kidding!" The purple haired girl chuckled lightly. "If that's the case, how about a bunny?"

"Alright. Is there anything else?"

Without thinking, Nozomi blurted out the first thing that came to her mind, "Your number."

Umi's eyes widened as blood rushed to her cheeks. Her heart wouldn't stop throbbing quickly too. She hadn't expected Nozomi to want her number.

In a split second, she'd made her decision.

Grabbing a napkin from the girl's table, the blue haired butler scribbled a series of numbers and hastily gave it to Nozomi.

Nozomi accepted the napkin, stunned shock. She was still surprised over the fact that she actually had the guts to ask the bluenete for her number, and secondly, she was bewildered that Umi had actually given it to her. That must've meant something, right?

"T-Thank you..." Nozomi managed to say.

"The pleasure's mine, _oujou-sama,_" Umi winked as she walked away, leaving a blushing Nozomi staring at her retreating figure.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Important note: **I'm closing the request option from now until I've cleared most of the requests that are in the queue. Sorry about that! I'll inform you guys/gals when it reopens again! **

Review Replies:

kryuu27: Thank you! And also for telling me about the small but crucial mistake I made XD

lovemaki: Okay! and Thank you~ The day when Maki is shipped with every members of Muse in this fic is coming soon. :D

Dash24zappshift: Thank you and yes, homemade chocolate is always to best! In anycase, all the best to your studies and exams! Don't get too distracted by Nozomi and Umi! ;)

Enya Talisman: Glad that I was able to make your day~ Typicality and cliches are what sets the foundation of the story ;) And yes, I like a flirtatious Eli (to Maki of course). Taking this out chapter 18, I would like to see the day where Eli actually flirts with either Nozomi or Umi. And thank you for the compliment! You do have a particular love for rare pairings, not that it is a bad thing (it isn't.), so hope you'll enjoy this chapter too!

YagamiShura: Thank you! And did I hear NicoMaki? Request accepted! (And here I am, wondering if I've driven out all the NicoMaki shippers away since I keep pairing Maki with other members.)

ihavenoidea: Thank you~ Hahaha, a jealous Maki is something to be reckoned with. XD

weini38: Request accepted! But please be patient, the request queue is kinda long now so it'll take a while. Thanks for your understanding!

Major Mike Powell III: Thank you! And as for your request, I'll try my best but since I don't watch Gundam, I can't promise the chapter will be great and I may not strictly follow the prompt (the gist will still be there) since I know nothing about Gundam. Uh then again, I'll probably do some research and see how it goes. I'm so sorry about that, but hopefully i'll be able to produce something of decent quality.

* * *

><p>Next up, <em>Eli X Erena! <em>and _Maki X Hanayo!_

And OH MY RICE, after Kayo-chin's turn with Maki, Maki's harem is officially completed. Honoka is almost there...


	21. Chapter 21

Pairing: Eli X Erena

Rating: T

Chapter: _Something unexpected._

AU: In which Eli discovers Erena's secret and thus and unexpected friendship (or perhaps something more?) develops between them.

* * *

><p>Toudou Erena groaned as she trudged along the streets.<p>

It was nearly midnight and the streets were empty, soulless, lacking in any activity. Not even the usual sounds of stray cats prowling the night could be heard.

The purple haired girl clutched her chest tightly, trying not to hiss as new pain erupted from within her. She could already feel her hand being soaked by something warm that was oozing out from the wound. Blood. Her world was starting to become hazy, her vision unfocused. Her movements were extremely slow too, her legs unable to support her weight as she grunted, forcing her legs to move. Her ears were ringing, her heart pounding. She could feel hot red blood dripping from her fingers that were shaking terribly. She cursed herself inwardly for the fifth time that night for being careless and for letting her guard down. If she hadn't, she wouldn't be suffering now, in danger of falling unconscious any moment.

Her legs and arms were extremely weak, she knew. And if this went on any longer, she was sure that her battered legs would give way and buckle under her weight. Her left arm was basically useless and limp, just hanging from her shoulders. She needed to get out of here and head towards Tsubasa's house as soon as possible. Yet, no matter how hard she tried, her movements only slowed down as her breaths became shallow and laboured. The only thing that kept her moving was her will and determination to not fall before she reached her leader's house.

_Come on, move. _Erena let out a pained gasp as she dragged another feet forward. She had to move. She had to get to Tsubasa's house. She had to...

_I can't..._ Erena's vision started to fade as all of her energy was sapped out of her entire being. _I've hit my limit... _Her limbs lost all its motor skills and the last thing she saw before she felt her body fall forward was a tall shadow that seemed to be walking towards her, holding a torchlight.

* * *

><p>Eli bit her lips as she continued to watch the sleeping figure in front of her.<p>

The girl that was sleeping in front of her had collapsed near her house and Eli couldn't possibly let her die outside and thus had brought her in. She had wanted to call the ambulance but the sight of a gun sticking out near the purple haired girl's belt had set off warning bells inside her head and hence, the blonde had no choice but to carry the tall girl into her house and stop her bleeding wounds before wrapping it up with a gauze. After all, she couldn't risk the questions that she was sure the doctors would bombard her with if she had brought a girl with a gun to the hospital. Besides, she knew who the girl was, and would rather hear her side of the story when she woke up before deciding on anything.

She wondered what Erena was doing in the middle of the night and what the purple haired girl had gotten herself into. No doubt, she was worried about the wounded girl, but there was also a sense of forbidding and dread that loomed near her heart. Not only was Erena bleeding to death when she found her, the girl from UTX had small wounds all over her arms and legs. Bruises and cuts as well as strange marks covered her pale skin.

Despite all the wounds and how dangerous the sleeping figure seemed to be, Eli couldn't help but stare at the sleeping form. Eli had always thought that Erena was beautiful, and had a mature stature and aura about her that made her respect the purple haired idol. The UTX student always had a calming presence and was polite as well. She was also the one who'd taken notice of her, by bringing up her achievements in ballet back in Russia. Thinking about that, a small blush tinted her cheeks. She didn't think that a famous and extremely popular idol such as Erena would even know about her, much less know things about her. And that, for some reason, had made her exceptionally happy and warm inside.

Shaking such thoughts away with yet another blush that Eli wasn't sure she understood, she continued to observe the girl she'd just saved. Erena's breaths were even, her face looked extremely peaceful. The tyrian purple tresses that fell upon the pale face made the girl seemed harmless and Eli had this sudden urge to reach forward and push the dark purple locks away, just to have a clearer and better look at the school idol's face.

A slight shift under the covers of her bed caused Eli to snapped out of her thoughts and her eyes trained on the girl who seemed to be waking up.

"Ngh..." Erena groaned as her eyes opened. Whiteness immediately assaulted her eyes and she squinted before she tried to sit up. Finding herself in an unfamiliar place, Erena immediately panicked, her eyes wild with something akin to fear as her heart raced wildly. Scanning the room quickly, the purple head couldn't help a gasp that escaped from her mouth at the sight of a familiar looking blonde who was staring at her with a guarded yet worried look.

"A-Ayase...Eli?" Erena croaked out, her voice hoarse.

"Yes...Toudou-san..." Eli answered cautiously.

"Were you the one who saved me...?" The girl from UTX asked weakly. That was the most logical conclusion the purple haired girl had come up with. The last thing she remembered was a blonde figure carrying a torchlight walking towards her. That must've been Eli, Erena reasoned. But why was she out at night and with a torchlight?

"Yes, I found you collapsed near my house so I took the liberty to carry you back and patch you up." The quarter Russian answered truthfully.

"Thank you, I owe you my life," Erena tried to bow but a shot of raw pain pierced through her chest, causing her to hiss loudly.

"T-Toudou-san! Are you alright?!" Alarmed, Eli immediately jumped up but Erena held up her hand, stopping the pony tailed girl from getting closer, "I'm fine."

Unconvinced, but unable to say anything else, Eli sat back down on the chair near her desk.

Erena brought her palm towards her throbbing temple before using her left hand to feel for her gun. _Thank God it's still there. It seems like either Ayase-san has not noticed it or chose to ignore it. But since I wasn't in the hospital..._

"Toudou-san..." Eli began, interrupting Erena's thoughts. "I know this may be none of my business but...may I know what happened? The only reason why I've hadn't sent you to the hospital and called the police was because..." Eli paused before continuing, "...I consider you a friend and I would prefer to know the truth first. And also..why do you have a gun?" Eli swallowed.

The emerald eyed girl could only stare at the sapphire eyed girl. For some reason, Erena couldn't tear her eyes away from the sapphire orbs that seemed to draw her in like a magnet. _Tsubasa's wrong. _Erena suddenly thought. _Ayase Eli also has a certain charm that could probably rival Kousaka Honoka. Besides, Tsubasa was just being biased..._

"Toudou-san...?" Eli repeated, now looking at the purple head anxiously at the sudden silence. Maybe the girl didn't want to say anything or it was confidential?

Erena couldn't say that she knew Ayase Eli well besides the fact that the blonde was the Ex-Student Council President of Otonokizaka Academy, a quarter Russian, a popular member of Muse, and was well-versed in ballet in Russia. The purple haired student from UTX tried to decipher the third year in front of her, but all she could derive now was that the blonde seemed genuinely worried about her and was sincere. She could tell that Eli was a little wary about her but by saving her and not sending her to the police or hospital right away (since she had a gun on her), Erena figured that she could trust the girl who was now looking at her with unwavering and determined eyes. Besides, she seemed trustworthy and probably had a good sense of judgement.

Taking in a a huge breath, Erena decided to tell the truth.

* * *

><p>"You're a <em>hunter<em>?" Eli echoed, disbelief clouding her eyes. Erena had just told her that she was a _hunter_, a specialist who hunted down supernatural beings who'd harmed the general population, and she was hunting down a demon (using a specialised gun she was holding) who'd been sighted near the area prior to her injuries. She'd gotten hurt when she'd let her guard down after thinking that she'd killed it, only to realise too late that the demon was still alive and had attacked her, causing her to barely survive the encounter even after she made sure to fully kill it.

"Yes," Erena confirmed. "I don't expect you to believe me, but since you asked for the truth, I have given it to you." The girl stated quietly.

"It's not that I don't believe you but it's kind of...hard to take it all in." Eli sighed, scratching her head. "Besides, you said that no one knows the existence of _hunters_ such as yourself and the supernatural beings right?"

"Yes...mainly to protect the interest of the population."

"Alright." Eli then said awkwardly, "Then...uh, you don't have to report to...whoever it is? Since...you basically told me the truth and...I saved you and all."

Erena furrowed her eyebrows before shaking her head, "Tsubasa's probably going to kill me once she learns about you... or that I'd actually let my guard down."

"Kira-san...?" Eli looked surprised and blinked as understanding dawned upon her, "Ah. She's your...superior?"

"Not quite. She's our leader." Erena said grimly, "Well, I did plan on going to her house before I collapsed in front of your house..."

"So...um..." Eli trailed off, unsure of how she phrase her question.

"What is it?"

"Are you...going to stay here...tonight?" Eli said, fighting hard to beat down a spark of heat trying to rise upwards to her cheeks.

"If that's fine with you?" Erena asked. "I am in no condition to really move about."

"It's fine." Eli answered as an unexplained warmness started to settle at the pit of her stomach at the thought that Erena was going to stay overnight.

"Thank you, Ayase-san. I'm really in your debt." The taller girl then gave her a bright smile.

Eli could feel her cheeks warming, unable to keep the blush off her face at the smile Erena had given her. For some reason, just the thought of it sent her heart racing. Now that she thought about it, a famous school idol was staying in her house, sleeping in her room, on her bed no less. And said idol was really beautiful too. Eli thought that she was going to overheat and was extremely perplexed at the emotions that was threatening to overwhelm her.

_What's these feelings inside of me?_

"Ayase-san? Are you alright? You seemed to be a little red in the face..." Erena asked, hints of worry in her deep and velvety voice. That had only served to deepen the blush on Eli's face and she hastily squeaked out, "I-I'm fine!" _Why is my face so hot? It feels as if a fire is burning._

Gulping, Eli tried to gain a reign over her emotions as she stood up before she turned to the girl lying on her bed, "Is there anything I can get for you, Toudou-san?"

"No, thanks for asking," Erena said politely.

"In that case, I'll be sleeping in the room next door." Eli said as she head towards the door. She had to get out before her heart threatened to leap out of her chest.

"Next door?" The UTX student questioned, a little confused.

"My little sister's room. She happens to be sleeping overnight in her friend's house tonight, so the room is empty." Eli spun around and elaborated, though still not understanding the confused expression on Erena's face. "What's wrong...?"

"...Nothing...I just thought you'd be sleeping with me, that's all..." Erena shrugged slightly.

"W-Wha-" Eli stuttered, her cheeks burning and flaming hot. "S-Sleep with-" Her mind started to spin in circles as her breath hitched. It was almost as if she was hyperventilating. She knew that Erena probably didn't mean more than just sleeping in the same room, and on different bed/futons yet Eli's over imaginative mind suddenly took a turn for the worse and her face was so red that one could probably see steam puffing out from her ears.

"Ayase-san?" Erena tried again. She was rather worried about how flushed the owner of the room looked.

"N-Nothing! I mean no! I-I'll be in my sister's room. You..You need all the rest you can, so I won't disturb you..." Eli managed to croak out, her mind still whirling before she rushed out of her own room, breathing heavily before she fell on all fours.

Toudou Erena.

A very dangerous girl indeed.

Once Eli had calmed down enough, she realised with a start that her sleepwear was still in her room. She swore softly in Russian before heading towards Alisa's room. She would not risk going back there again, if it meant that her face was going to turn all red again. She didn't think her mind and body could take it.

Toudou Erena, a _hunter _and a famous school idol.

And an extremely dense person to boot.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

Review Replies:

_lovemaki:_ Yep, NozoEli's fine! Someone has already given me a prompt for the pairing so look forward to it~

_Msmusicful_: Hehehe, thank you!

_kryuu27_: Hahaha, in this case, Eli and Nozomi aren't friends yet. ;) and yes, its rare to see Nozomi blush, that's why a blushing Nozomi has to be included! It'd be so adorable! And thank you! Maki's "harem" so to speak, isn't an actual harem since the chapters are separate but she's the only one who has been paired with everyone in Muse! :D

_ihavenoidea_: Yes, Hahaha I actually wanted Maki to make an appearance too since she'd definitely look cool in a butler outfit with a low pony tail as well. And Eli totally fits the bill of a player! I mean, she does have a playful side to her by the end of season 1 and in season 2, okay, probably more so in the school idol diaries (from what i've gathered). I can imagine her breaking all the girl's hearts due to her popularity! Though, after Hanayo's event, I have a feeling it's going to be Umi's. Or maybe I'm wrong. (one can hope).

_Enya Talisman_: Soldier Game cafe? I haven't thought of that...Hmmm, I shall take the suggestion about using Eli or even Maki into consideration~ I'll probably use Maki though. Since Eli's been used in another fic by another author (Roxius's "_Fixing the World's Most Dysfunctional School Idol Group_." Hahhaa, that fic is hilarious and really _really_ interesting! You should go read it if you haven't.)

_Dash24zappshift_: Tsk tsk, study before you read fanfics! ...is what Eli and Umi would say in unison. And Honoka be like "You only live once, so enjoy life to its fullest and don't get dragged down by anything!" And Umi be like dragging Honoka away for another long lecture until Kotori steps like the angel she is to save her childhood friend XD Anyways, thanks for the review!

_Omoshiiroi_: Did I hear Nico harem? *_* But unfortunately, as interesting and fun as it sounds, Nico isn't anywhere close T_T (yet.)

_Jaez_: Hahah, as usual, thank you~ Though MakiPana is a (sorta) rare ship, I really want more people to like the ship. They would be so adorable together! Though Maki would probably be too frustrated with Hanayo's overly shy and hesitant nature~ And yea, Umi's giving of her number is kinda unexpected but hey, they sorta knew each other for around 6 months, though they probably only stared at each other when they think the other isn't looking and with Umi awkwardly trying to converse with her "oujou-sama" XD ... ... Hopefully this chapter doesn't serve as a bad impression of pairings outside of Muse T_T There are other fics out there, mostly Honoka X Tsubasa that you could try reading~ (I think there's one by nobodD - "True Feelings" I think. And I have a feeling I've seen some other HonoTsuba and Anju X Maki around... as well as a Eli X Erena ... ) Anyway, be sure to think of a prompt quick! There are four more chapters before KotoEli! XD

* * *

><p>Plot hole: Eli couldn't possibly have bandaged Erena up all by herself and disinfect her wounds given how she's not an experienced doctornurse. So for the sake of the story, I'm going to ignore the obvious and jarring plot hole. It would make more sense if an actual doctor looked at it. I'm so sorry T_T

* * *

><p>I tried. I really did T_T<p>

It wasn't going to be an AU at first but...it just happened.


	22. Chapter 22

Pairing: Maki X Hanayo

Rating: T

Chapter: _The words that went unspoken. _

In which Maki offers to help Hanayo in math.

* * *

><p>Too close. Hanayo was too damn <em>close <em>to her.

It made Maki immediately regret her offer and suggestion. When classes had ended an hour ago, the red haired girl had spotted Hanayo looking a little down at her own desk, hands gripping her math script. She could see that the brunette's hands were shaking a little and immediately deduced that the girl probably didn't do well for the math test. Granted, the test was hard, even for someone like Maki but the dejected and sorrowful look on the short haired girl's face had caused an unbearable ache in Maki's heart - she could feel her heart almost breaking at the sight. Without thinking and wanting to wipe that sad look off her friend's face, Maki had impulsively offered to teach her, to which the brunette had visibly lightened up, before the shy girl started to stutter about how she couldn't trouble Maki with her problems.

Maki had swiftly ignored the brunette's protests and had dragged a nearby desk and chair over to Hanayo's desk.

And thus, she was now sitting next to Hanayo, trying to teach her how to solve a math problem. However, Hanayo was leaning rather close to Maki since her eyesight seemed to have worsened and she was squinting, frequently pushing her glasses up.

Maki could feel the brunette's breath tickling her neck and for reasons she couldn't comprehend, her heart had started to race wildly. The heat from their close proximity was also painfully obvious and her face heated several degrees up.

But Hanayo just had to lean even closer towards her, and Maki swore that the room had become 10 degrees hotter when she felt something soft leaning against her shoulder.

Maki swallowed, throat dry, her face burning, as she felt something stirred inside her.

The hotter the air became, the more intense the weird emotions inside her reacted and stirred.

Apparently Van't Hoff's rule applied to human beings as well.

Maki tried to concentrate on the piece of paper in front of her, trying to focus on the equations that were presented in front of her, as she gripped the pencil in her palms tightly.

She felt like banging her head against the desk, hoping that all these weird feelings inside her would just disappear.

Oh why did Hanayo had to be so close to her?

Why did Hanayo had to look so adorable and cute in her glasses?

Wait. What?

And why was she so affected by it?

It wasn't as if Hanayo was a stranger to her. Even when Rin had forcefully tried to hug her, she hadn't felt like her heart was going to burst.

So why was she so self-conscious over the fact that the brunette's face was less than an inch away from hers?

"Do you understand now?" Maki finally breathed out, her voice a little strained as she ignored her thumping heart.

"...I think I understand now..." came a soft yet high pitched voice that tickled against her ears. "T-Thank you, Maki-chan..."

"Y-You're welcome," the red haired girl managed to say as she bit her inner lip. _Play it cool. Don't be overly_ conscious.

When Hanayo finally moved away from Maki, putting some distance between them (though they are still next to each other), Maki couldn't help but sigh inwardly with relief.

* * *

><p>Hanayo was observing Maki as the red haired girl furrowed her eyebrows, looking over the math question that the brunette had just solved.<p>

It was without a doubt that Maki was beautiful, Hanayo thought. Her figure and looks were much to be envious of but that wasn't what the short haired girl liked best about Maki. Sure, her appearance played an integral part as well but Hanayo was mostly fascinated by Maki's lavender orbs, which held endless amounts of possibilities and hidden talents. It was clear and sharp, much like a diamond, and Hanayo thought that the set of lavender fitted the composer's flaming hair perfectly.

She was also envious of Maki's talents in many areas, be it in her studies, or her skills in playing the piano, her ability to sing so well and her ability to learn a dance routine quickly and almost effortlessly. Even though the red haired girl may be awkward sometimes (like she's the one to talk) and might not be honest with her feelings in general, the brunette had found this quality of Maki's to be pretty endearing and adorable, and this flaw of Maki's, amidst her seemingly perfect exterior had made Hanayo like Maki even more (though she wasn't sure how far her liking for Maki went but she decided to put that aside for now).

Hanayo, on the contrary, wasn't any of that. Her results were at most average and she often struggled during practices with the dance routines, even those that were simple. Besides, her voice was squeaky and high pitched, and she was extremely shy and indecisive. She knew she shouldn't feel inferior but she couldn't help but feel that she wasn't fitted to be an idol. Her insecurity though lessened, had never faded, even when she'd joined Muse, and even when Rin tried to convince her otherwise. Standing beside a girl like Maki had always made her feel small, as if she could never reach the level the red haired girl was at. But strangely enough, despite her insecurity, she liked to be next to the red head. The red haired girl had this soothing presence that Hanayo found hard to describe and explain. Although...sometimes whenever the red head was really close to her, or when the red head was staring at her with this indistinguishable and indescribable look, the brunette found herself blushing in spite of herself and her heart would start to beat a tad faster.

Unsure of what it really meant, the brunette could only chalk it up to her being self conscious of being stared at, especially by a girl like Maki. Whatever that meant.

Hanayo continued to stare at her friend who was scribbling and circling something on her math worksheet.

_Maki-chan really does have a pretty face..._ Hanayo unconsciously thought as her amethyst eyes scanned the other girl's features, before resting on the small supple pink lips that had curled into a thin line, as the red head remained deep in thought. Hanayo also realised that Maki's features and skin was flawless, its colour not too pale nor tanned.

"Hanayo...?" Maki's voice brought Hanayo back to the classroom and the brunette blinked rapidly before realising that a faint blush was on Maki's face. She then realised that she was still staring at red head and her cheeks mirrored Maki's, being painted a light red.

"I-I..." Hanayo began to stammer, "I-I-I'm sorry!"

"Sorry?" Maki echoed, "What for?"

"B-Because...I-I...was staring at you...?" The brunette's answer came off uncertainly as a question.

Maki could only sigh before tapping her pencil onto the math paper. "You made a mistake here," The red head said, pointing to the middle of the page where she'd previously circled. "You should have integrated these two separately. Besides..." Maki ran her index finger down the page, "All of these are unnecessary. You could've used an easier and shorter method to solve this, instead of doing all of these which will only serve to confuse you."

"I-I..see..." Hanayo breathed out, looking a little ashamed.

"...Why the long face?" Maki questioned, uncomfortable with how upset the girl beside her looked.

"I...feel like I've disappointed you, Maki-chan..." Hanayo admitted, "You're willing to spend your precious time to teach...someone like me. I'm grateful for your help yet...I can't even solve this question..." The brunette's head dropped.

"Hanayo..." Maki murmured. She didn't know that the brunette had felt that way, and didn't realised that her friend still felt somewhat inferior and that it ran so deep. She then gritted her teeth. This was wrong. Hanayo was wrong. How could the brunette downgrade herself like that? Maki didn't understand. She knew that Hanayo could be clumsy and shy but she also thought that Hanayo was brave, courageous, strong, honest, passionate and everything else that she wasn't. Hanayo's fatal flaw was the lack of confidence in herself, Maki thought. The red haired girl knew that Hanayo had the ability and capability to become a great idol, and she had a calming presence. Besides, even if she was shy, Maki found it adorable. Not that she'd ever admit it to Hanayo or anyone else for that matter.

"Hanayo," Maki's voice was warm and gentle, "This was a pretty tough question that I'm sure even Honoka or Kotori would require much more time to solve. And please don't underestimate yourself or put yourself down like that. You-"

"B-But I'm not as great!" Hanayo suddenly burst out. "I-I'm not...beautiful like you! I'm not graceful at all, I'm not bold or decisive...!" The brunette choked out, as tears brimmed at the edge of her eyes, blurring her vision. Just like how the image of Maki was getting blurry in front of her, Hanayo felt that the distance between Maki and herself were widening. She just wasn't like Maki. She wasn't cool like her, wasn't capable like her.

"Hanayo!" Maki's voice echoed loudly throughout the empty classroom. "Please...please don't say that!" She whispered harshly, reaching for the short haired girl's shoulders. It hurt her to see Hanayo speaking about herself like that.

"Don't say that." Maki repeated, this time louder, as her voice grew stronger although a faint tremble could be detected from her voice as tried not to let even a slight hint of tears escape her eyes. "You are cute, Hanayo. Even much cuter than I am. Even if you may be clumsy at times, or indecisive...I still like you for who you are!" Maki was breathing heavily and those words had tumbled out of her mouth before she could even stop herself.

"You have a beautiful voice!" Maki continued, her face extremely flushed but she didn't really care about that now. Her only priority was Hanayo. "You have the ability to sing even better than I do! All you need is to be more confident of yourself, love yourself more (not to the extent like Nico-chan is)! I-I could..no, I will help you with that!" The red head then did an unexpected thing, causing Hanayo to gasp out. Maki had immediately pulled the brunette into an embrace, hugging her tightly. It wasn't often that Maki had initiated a hug, much less a comforting one and Hanayo's heart immediately warmed, as all her worries were lifted in the instant when Maki had embraced her warmly.

"Maki...chan.."

"Hanayo."

Both of their cheeks were flushed a scarlet red yet they didn't let go. Both didn't understand why they felt so comfortable in each other's arms but they didn't want to think about that now. All they wanted was to be enveloped in this warmth forever, to stay like that forever.

However that wasn't really possible as after several seconds have passed, Maki started to feel embarrassed as realisation of what she'd actually done finally sunk in. She immediately pulled away, eyes darting away as a colourful blush adorned her cheeks.

Hanayo chuckled slightly at the sight, causing Maki to blush further. "W-What are you laughing at?!"

"It's just that...Maki-chan really is cute when she's embarrassed." The brunette said honestly, though her face was a little pink too.

"W-Wha-" Maki sputtered out.

"I like you too, Maki-chan...so thank you," Hanayo smiled brightly.

Maki couldn't help but stare at the amethyst eyes that seemed to be shinning brightly, and the huge and beautiful smile that crossed Hanayo's features.

_Hanayo is cutest like that. This is how it should be. _Maki thought to herself.

And for once, Maki didn't let her embarrassment take over her as she returned an equally bright smile.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

Hanayo really does have a beautiful voice. (I know many would beg to differ.) Especially in songs like _Love marginal;_ Y'all should go listen to her singing this song alone..._ (_Although Umi's voice is still my favourite.)

I find that Hanayo is an extremely cute and adorable person (even more so with her glasses). Her high-pitched voice adds onto the cute factor and when she sings in slow songs, damn, her voice is beautiful. Her love for rice is amusing and endearing, and I liked how in the anime, Hanayo gains more confidence and is the one (and Maki) who pushed Rin forward (figuratively and physically) instead in season 2 during the "Love wing bell" episode.

Now that I'm done ranting about Hanayo, I guess was trying to explore the possibilities between Hanayo and Maki in this chapter. In season 1, there are some MakiPana moments - when Maki offered to coach Hanayo in projecting her voice and a little quarrel with Rin as to who would bring Hanayo to the second years so that Pana can join the group, as well her giving Hanayo the push she needed to join Muse. (This is out of topic but I liked the parallel between the two scenes in which Maki and Rin pushed Hanayo in season 1 vs how Maki and Hanayo pushed Rin in season 2)

* * *

><p>Next, <em>Umi X Nico! <em>And then: _Maki's Mother X Kotori's Mother (Nishikino X Minami)  
><em>

So stay tuned!

Till then~


	23. Chapter 23

Pairing: Umi x Nico

Rating: K+

Chapter: _The minutes that ticked by. _

In which Umi gets locked up in the club room with Nico.

* * *

><p>She eyed the only remaining occupant left in the room– a certain blue haired lyricist who had just finished packing up.<p>

From the window, hints of the night sky could already been seen, though streaks of orange and red painted majority of the evening sky, dotted by occasional lines of lavender. Standing near the window panes, the bluenete had looked like she was a part of a scenic painting– her long duke blue hair resting along gently down the shoulders of the dark blue school blazer, her calm and serene appearance emphasised by her golden brown orbs that seemed sharp yet giving off a tranquil feel, backed up by the beautiful setting sun.

Nico couldn't help but stare at her blue haired friend, noticing, not for the first time, that the bluenete was extremely beautiful, despite her unhealthy tendencies to be a slave driver sometimes. Truth to told, Umi was one of the members in Muse she'd admired the most. She had a slim figure at a desirable height, not to mention silky blue tresses that seemed well conditioned. Even though the younger girl's bust was mediocre, and was not large like Nozomi's or Eli's, and left much more to be desired, it was still better than Nico's own flatness. Besides, the blue haired girl was good in her studies, and had a talent for writing, being the group's default lyricist. But what felt like a bigger stab to the older girl's ego was the fact that Umi was younger than her.

"Aren't you leaving too, Nico?" Umi asked as she slung her bag over her shoulder, breaking the silence that seemed to fell in the room.

"Y-Yea, I am,' Nico answered, averting her gaze from the younger girl before retrieving her bag as well. Thank goodness Umi hadn't noticed that she was staring at her.

It was of course, pretty unusual for Nico and Umi to be in the clubroom alone. As the club president, she tended to leave last, and lock up the room after the last person left, or in the usual case, when Rin, Maki and Hanayo left. However, Umi was the last one to leave since she dropped by late, having Kyudo practice after school and being the responsible and disciplined person she is, she'd stayed longer to finish up the lyrics to their latest song. The rest of Muse had already left together half an hour ago, thus leaving the two unlikely duo in the clubroom.

"Shall we go then?" Umi asked.

"Yea..." Nico muttered and the two head towards the door in silence.

Nico twisted the knob and pushed the door open only to realise that the door wouldn't budge. Confused, the petite girl tried again but to no avail. Irritated, the raven haired girl twisted the knob again, and used her shoulders to push against the door. It just wouldn't budge. Visibly paling, the raven haired girl's heart started to pound as the first trickle of fear and panic set in and she tried once more, using all of her strength to push the damned door open.

No luck.

_Don't panic. Don't panic. I'm sure it'll open just fine. _Nico tried to convince herself as she gulped, before concentrating all of her strength to her shoulder and banged against the door, fervently praying that it would open.

Unfortunately, the door refused to move even an inch and Nico realised that the door was probably jammed.

"What's wrong, Nico?" Umi frowned, though slightly worried by Nico's actions. The gears inside the blue haired girl had already started to work and judging by her friend's behaviour and actions, and how the door didn't open, she had concluded that the door was–

"The door's jammed," Nico breathed out uneasily.

"What...?" Umi blinked. Jammed. The door was jammed. "Let me try," the bluenete gritted her teeth. Her strength was stronger than Nico's. So maybe she would be able to open the door.

Umi sucked in a breath before mirroring Nico's actions.

She tried to push the door open, only to realise that the door really was jammed.

"...It really is jammed." Umi muttered under her breath.

"...Isn't that what I told you just now?" Nico couldn't help but say though inside, she was trying to calm herself down. After all, it wasn't the end of the world even if they seemed to be stuck in the clubroom.

"..." Umi narrowed her eyes at her senior and Nico immediately blanched, effectively silenced.

"I'll call Kotori and see if she could get the chairwoman for help," Umi finally said as she dug her mobile phone out of the bag. Since the door was jammed, it would be prudent and most effective if an adult, especially a staff from the school, was able to contact the specialist or get someone to fix the door and get them out.

"In that case, I'll contact Eli to inform her of the situation," Nico decided, feeling like she had to do something. Besides, she should probably tell someone in Muse of their current situation and the blonde Ex-Student Council President seemed the most ideal and logical choice.

* * *

><p>"Eli sounded worried and despite my assurances, she's rushing to the school now," Nico informed Umi who had just ended her call with Kotori.<p>

Umi smiled slightly, "That sounds like Eli alright. Kotori said that the chairwoman is still in school and she'll help us inform her that we're locked. She's going to inform Honoka as well, since she's our leader. She sounded like she wanted to come too but I dissuaded her."

"I see...Then...all we do now is wait?" Nico asked quietly and Umi nodded before heading back to the desks.

Nico followed suit and the two now sat on the chair in silence.

Umi wasn't too worried about being stuck in the clubroom since she knew that help would arrive soon. All she had to do was to inform her family that she would be late since she was stuck in school. With that in mind, the blunete immediately made the necessary call before taking out her homework and started on it diligently. Instead of wasting time, might as well do something productive, was what the bluenete thought.

Nico, on the other hand, was panicking inside her mind. Although she was extremely worried about the situation they were in, she was glad that Umi was here. The reliable junior had always seemed calm and level headed, and Nico knew that if she was stuck here alone, she would've probably panicked for a long time before logic and rationality started to set in. However, even though she knew that help would arrive soon, she couldn't help but worry about her siblings at home. After all, being the older sister, she was responsible for their dinner. What would happen to her hungry younger siblings if she wasn't at home by dinner time? That thought had caused her to start pacing about in the room. She then spotted Umi doing her work and wondered how the bluenete managed to be so calm at times like this and was even in the mood to be doing homework.

_I guess growing up in a strict and disciplined family does make a difference. _Nico thought to herself as she resumed her pacing.

As the minutes ticked by, Nico started to be fully and overly aware of the deafening silence that fell upon them.

Umi seemed like she didn't mind as she continued working her way through a math problem but the raven haired girl had felt overly conscious over the fact that it was so quiet– something she still wasn't quite used to yet, since she'd often spent time with her noisy siblings.

It wasn't as if Nico had many things to talk about to Umi, and vice versa. Umi was one of the few members that Nico talked less too, since they were the complete opposites and they were seldom left alone. They were often in a huge group, and Nico also tended to hang out with the third years (not by choice) and the first years. But then again, Nico hated silences, even though the silence wasn't awkward at all. In fact, it was surprisingly comfortable, but she needed a distraction before she started to hyperventilate and start over thinking about how her siblings were going to starve to death if she didn't make it home in time.

Finally, the petite girl was unable to withstand the silence as she opened her mouth.

"Hey, Umi."

The blue haired lyricist looked up from her paper with a questioning look, "Yes?"

"What are you doing?"

"...Homework..." Umi managed to answer before gritting her teeth as a sudden headache hit her.

"I...see..." The twin tailed girl said, not noticing the grim and pained look on the younger girl's face. _Damn it. I can't let the conversation dry up just like that! I need to continue the conversation, if not I'll only keep pacing about, drowning myself with worry. __  
><em>

However, before she could formulate another question, Umi had spoken, "You're anxious right?" She'd noticed that Nico looked concerned through the way the older girl seemed to be furrowing her eyebrows every now and then. Her pacing about in the room only added to confirm Umi's suspicions. She'd debated whether she should start the conversation instead but for some reason, she felt...embarrassed to do so and thus, she had waited patiently for her senior to initiate the conversation. The light headache had continued to throb but the bluenete did her best to ignore it, bearing with the pain, not letting it show. After all, she didn't want to worry Nico any further. And it was just a headache.

"Huh?" Nico could only manage.

"You were pacing about. It's pretty obvious you're nervous." Umi explained, having decided to give up on homework as she focused on Nico, "What are you worried about? We'll be able to leave this room soon."

Nico bit her lips before slumping down on a chair. "I'm...worried about my younger siblings." The petite girl admitted softly. "I have to be home to cook dinner, to help them with their homework." She hadn't wanted to tell Umi the truth at first, but for some reason, she felt like she didn't mind telling the younger girl what was on her mind.

"When you can't even handle your own homework?" Umi raised an eyebrow but upon seeing the depressed look on her senior's face, the bluenete immediately regretted her words, "I'm sorry, that was tactless of me and the joke was tasteless."

"No offense taken," Nico sighed.

"Don't worry, I'm sure help would be coming soon," Umi offered a smile.

"Thank you...Umi." Nico returned the smile with one of her own, though a hint of worry was still evident from the tone of her voice.

Seeing such an uncharacteristic look on the older girl's face, Umi couldn't help but worry as well. It wasn't like Nico to be in such a state. Umi had almost expected the twin tailed girl to perform her usual catchphrase "Nico Nico Nii" at times like this but the expression on Nico's face had brought an ache to Umi's heart.

Despite her appearance and the fact that Nico could be narcissistic, egoistical, hard to bear, arrogant at times, Umi knew that in truth, Nico was probably one of the most sensitive person in Muse, and that she really cared a lot for her family. She'd always put up a strong and independent front, not wanting to rely on others or for others to see her weak side. Therefore, having Nico to admit that she was worried had made Umi happy that the older girl had actually confided in her, but it also made her a little miserable since her friend seemed to be suffering.

Wanting to console the raven haired girl somewhat, Umi was about to open her mouth to speak when she suddenly felt dizzy. Bringing a palm to her temple, the bluenete tried to focus on her surrounding that were rapidly splitting into threes and fours but it only made her world spin.

"...Umi?" She could vaguely hear a worried voice calling her name. It felt like something was buzzing into her ear as white spots danced at the edge of her vision.

"Umi! Umi!" The same voice now sounded really panicked. Umi frowned. She didn't really want the voice of the person to sound so worried. She tried to open her mouth, to speak, to tell the voice that she'd be fine and she was just dizzy but all that escaped from her mouth was a pained gasp as she felt herself slipping from her chair.

With a loud thud, Umi collapsed onto the floor as her body lost its strength.

"Umi! Umi! Damn it!" Nico had immediately rushed over to the bluenete's side. "Hey, Umi, what's wrong?!"

Gnashing her teeth, the blue haired archer managed to croak out, "I'm fine..."

"Like hell you are!" Nico shot back a retort as her eyebrows creased with worry. Why did Umi suddenly collapse? Why didn't she notice that something was wrong with the younger girl? Damn it. Was she too caught up with herself to actually notice that her friend wasn't feeling well?

"Dizzy..." Umi murmured as she tried to stand back up, her hands grabbing the edge of the desk tightly for support.

However, her legs buckled again, and her fingers slipped from the desk. She would've dropped onto the fall if not for Nico's quick reflexes, catching the younger girl in her arms.

Noting that the younger girl seemed lighter than she looked, Nico noticed that Umi was breathing heavily, her face flushed. Bringing a shaky hand to the bluenete's forehead, the raven haired girl realised that Umi was burning up.

_How long..._

Nico clenched her fists. How could she not have noticed?! Why was she so self absorbed? _No, now isn't the time to beat myself up about_ _being an insensitive fool. I need to help her. I need to__–_

A sudden vibration from her pocket told her that someone had called her phone. Nico snatched her phone from her skirt's pocket and hit the answer button. It was Eli.

"E-Eli! What should I do?! Oh god, what should I do?! It's my fault. I should have noticed–" Nico was on the verge of tears as she burst out.

"N-Nico?! Wait! Calm down! I have no idea what you're saying." The quarter Russian said. She could tell that Nico was distressed, extremely so and worry began to overtake her upon hearing the panicked and tearful voice. "Tell me what's happening," Eli said firmly over the phone.

"U-Umi...she's burning up! She's running a high fever...a-and she'd collapsed just now. Eli, we have to get out of here soon and bring Umi to–"

"Nico! Calm down!" Eli demanded, "I'm reaching the school now, so for now try to remain calm and stay beside Umi. I'm sure there's ice in the refrigerator. Wrap a cloth around some ice to make an ice pack. Use it until we get you two out of there. You hear me, Nico?"

"...Yes, Eli. I'm sorry, I_–" _Nico tried to say. The raven haired girl had calmed down a little and had laid the younger girl against the chair by supporting her up.

"It's fine. Just hang on until help arrives and I trust that you're able to take care of Umi?" The Ex-Student Council President asked. She trusted Nico to be able to take care of the younger girl since the petite girl had siblings, and was probably used to taking care of someone. All Eli had to do was to make sure Nico was calm and acting rationally and take good care of Umi before help arrived.

"Of course! Who do you think I am?" The twin tailed girl shot back good-naturedly.

"As expected of Nico," A hint of smile could be detected from Eli's voice, causing Nico to smile to herself as well.

"T-Thank y_–"_

_"_Thank me when you get out," Eli interrupted.

"...Okay." Nico sighed.

"I'll see you later then," The blonde said.

"See you," Nico returned before she hung up her phone.

Exhaling, Nico went to get ice from the mini refrigerator in the clubroom. Reaching for a handkerchief in her bag, the older girl put several ice cubes onto the cloth and wrapped it up tightly, twisting the end of it before tying it up and she placed the "ice pack" onto Umi's head, hoping that it would at least help cool her high temperature down.

"Ni...co..." A soft murmur from Umi immediately caused Nico to be alert.

"What's wrong, Umi?"

"...It's uncomfortable...everything feels hot and cold at the same time. Everything is so white..." The blue haired girl groaned out hoarsely.

"Umi..." Nico muttered. Biting her lips, the petite girl half carried the younger girl by slinging the younger girl's arms over her shoulders. Making their way to a corner in the room where there was enough space, Nico sat down, leaning against the wall, and told the bluenete to lie her head on her lap.

"Is this better?" Nico whispered gently, brushing her fingers over the younger girl's fringe.

Under normal circumstances, Nico was sure that Umi would have been so embarrassed and wouldn't, even if it cost her life, lie on Nico's thigh but since the younger girl appeared to be sick and running a high fever, the raven haired girl had figured that Umi's mind would be too muddled and hazy to care about trivial things like embarrassment.

"Yea...this is better...it's so warm and comfortable..." Umi mumbled as her eyelids started to droop down.

"Take a rest now. I'll wake you up when the door opens." Nico said reassuringly as she leaned down, placing a soft and chaste kiss on the other girl's head.

"Un..." Umi's voice was barely a whisper before sleep took over her. Nico then placed the "ice-pack" on the girl's forehead once again.

Regarding her junior with a fond look, the petite third year smiled gently at the sleeping girl on her lap. Who knew Umi had such an adorable sight to her? (Umi looked even more adorable than she was, Nico had to admit.) There's a certain child-like quality in the younger girl as Nico continued to observe the blue haired girl. Well, Umi would probably freak out after she woke up and felt better. So until then, Nico figured that she should probably enjoy this rare moment in which her usually disciplined and strict junior looked uncharacteristically peaceful and adorable.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

**Review Replies:**

_Enya Talisman_: Hehehe, thank you! Oh? 95 points? XD What should I do or improve on to earn that 5 points? XD That aside, I really love Hanayo's voice in slow songs eg. Nawatobi, Love marginal. So what do you think of this chapter, as the of the writers who wrote the ever ultra rare [pun (un)intended] pairing of UmiNico? XD

_kryuu27_: I do think Eli is a dense person but Erena struck me as someone who could be dense too (but I can't say for sure since she didn't appear as often in the anime). Having two dense person wouldn't be fun at all, don't you think? XD YES MakiPana is cute, Hanayo is cute. Extremely so. And yea, I get that, I personally like Umi's voice a lot, and she's my favourite though Hanayo's voice is so clear, beautiful and controlled.

_ihavenoidea_: Well, someone has to be the dense one XD And it's pretty fun to see Eli reacting to how dense Erena could be~ Omg. It sounds plausible for Maki being the one to be pushed by Hanayo and Rin this time! Hopefully that scene would be included in the upcoming movie~

_Ebon Paw_: Thank you! :) And yes, I do agree that the wild stars solos shows the range of voices in each girl. Nico's voice had a greater impact on me though, with how deep it is, Nozomi's too. Though unfortunately for Kotori...her voice is hard to "become deep". And yes, Pile's voice in "Himitsu to Hanazono" is wonderful XD And I also do think that Emitsun's "Sekou Resolution" is pretty cool too (assuming that you've heard it) XD

_Motive_: You and I are going to be great friends. I can feel it. Anybody that ships KotoUmi wholeheartedly or "instantly honed in on the kotoumi out of pure instinct" (as you have put it) is in my books, an awesome person. Anyway, though I've mentioned that I've closed the requests box/option for now, the word "kotoumi" had caught my attention. So yes, I'll accept it your request! It's KotoUmi after all, I can't reject it.

_lovemaki_: I guess your love for Maki extends to her mum as well? XD

_Major Mike Powell III_: As usual, thank you! Hahaha, "original waifu" - that _is true, _in the anime at least, and there is also the interaction between the two when Hanayo visits Maki's house to return her her student pass that she dropped in school XD _  
><em>

_asb227_: Look forward to it since it's up next~

_Jaez_: First of, thank you! Secondly, yep, go check those fics out~ Glad that you liked the previous chapter! And as I've mentioned above to _ihavenoidea_, I hope that Maki would be pushed by Rin and Hanayo someday :3 And I'm so honoured and flattered that you'll wait for mine first before reading the other fics XD It's making me blush XD XD (coughs) Anyway, that was alright for a prompt~ It's actually pretty logical and brilliant, since I've never considered what would happen when Kotori takes everyone's measurements for their outfits. :) But what kind of question would Eli ask? (hmmm) Is that up to me or...? o.O

_Dash24zappshift_: Once again, thank you for the review~ :D

* * *

><p>I was supposed to finish this yesterday, but due to certain circumstances (being assaulted, pounced on, punched by, pinched by, headbutted by, dragged around by my over energetic, over enthusiastic, overly playful kid cousin), I couldn't summon the energy to finish the chapter. So, sorry about that! T_T<p>

Plus, I keep thinking about KotoUmi.

Note: They do get out of the room without anymore problems later on. Eli arrives, knocking on the door minutes after Umi fell asleep and Nico shushes Eli, saying that Umi is still fast asleep. Taking care of (and watching) Umi had taken Nico's worries about her siblings off her mind. Chairwoman Minami arrives fifteen minutes later with the guy who un-jammed the door. Umi wakes up after the door is opened and freaks out when she realised her position, much to the amusement of both Eli and Minami. You can probably imagine the rest.

Next: _Nishikino X Minami! _


	24. Chapter 24

Pairing: Nishikino X Minami

Chapter: _The years that have passed by._

In which Nishikino pays Chairwoman Minami a special visit in school.

* * *

><p>"...Why are you staring at me like that, Nishikino...san?" A grey haired woman who looked above 30 asked with a small frown plastered on her face as she leaned against the wheeled office chair, her arms folded across her chest.<p>

"Aw, you should've at least pretended to be happy to see me~" A red haired woman around the same age said playfully, a smile already creeping up her face as she sat comfortably on the chair in front of the other woman.

A long mahogany table separated the two friends and stacks of papers and documents could be seen scattered along the table in the Chairwoman of Otonokizaka Academy's office.

"So...how can I help you, Nishikino-san?" The chairwoman asked, all business-like as she stared impassively at the red head.

"...Don't ignore what I just said! And why all the formality?" Nishikino pouted, an action that would seem childish on a woman like her, but Minami ignored the all too familiar pout– that had brought back unwanted memories along with it.

"Nishikino..." Minami sighed, "Why did you drop by so suddenly?" The grey haired woman had hoped that the red head was here for some business, preferably something related to her daughter, who was a student in the school. But judging by the carefree appearance of her old friend, Minami knew that Nishikino's purpose here was probably something more simple, say, visiting a certain someone who hadn't contacted her for so long.

But if she was to be honest with herself, Minami was actually glad to see her old friend that she'd lost contact for many years. They'd met in the Otonokizaka's auditorium by coincidence once after so many years when both of them went to see Muse's performance. Of course, the respective women was there to cheer their own daughter on, especially Minami since her daughter had almost left Japan that day. After the performance had ended, they'd promised to keep in contact with each other before they went to look for their own daughter. However, Minami hadn't tried to contact the red head. Not that she didn't want to– on the contrary, she badly wanted to call her but she knew that if she saw the red head again, her old and forbidden feelings for the other woman would arise again, this time stronger. She'd barely managed to control herself when she first saw her again for so many years the other day.

And now, the very red head that she didn't want to see again appeared in front of her, in her office, no less. Her smooth auburn hair that cascaded down her shoulders, her simple yet elegant white dress that hugged her well maintained body, emphasising the curves that were now extremely well-developed, paired with a baby blue cardigan were perfect, yet overwhelmingly distracting– she couldn't take her eyes off the sight that was feasted upon her eyes. She had to force herself to tear her eyes from the beautiful sight in front of her, restraining her own desire to push the other woman against the wall and help herself to her lips.

Clenching her fists that were hidden beneath her office table, the grey haired woman steeled herself as she waited for the other woman's response.

"You didn't call me after that day," Nishikino started before twirling the ends of her hair, "So…instead of calling you, I came here to find you since I have an off day. If I'd knew that you were the principal of this school, I would've came by much earlier. I just didn't think that the 'Chairman Minami' that my daughter had briefly mentioned was actually you."

"I…see…" The chairwoman said softly before averting her gaze from the lavender orbs. _She still retains her habit of twirling her hair… _Minami thought to herself. She couldn't bear to look at the other woman, not when she was sporting such a gentle look. _  
><em>

"What's wrong?" Nishikino asked.

"N-Nothing," Minami attempted a smile. _What's wrong is that I can't help but love you, to feel for you even when I know I shouldn't. Even after so many years, why is it that I can never forget you? _

"You're lying. You always avert your eyes like that when you're lying. Tell me, what's wrong?" The red haired woman probed, now really concerned. One minute Minami seemed indifferent and almost cold, and the other, she looked like she was in pain. The red haired woman knew something was wrong, yet the woman sitting in front of her wasn't telling her anything. But then again, so many years had passed. They might have been best friends when they were younger but now things were different. Who was she to say that Minami still regarded her as a good friend?

"It's nothing." The grey haired woman reiterated. _Stop asking me. If you keep asking, I might just let all my feelings out. And I can't do that. _

"Minami–"

"I said it's nothing!" Minami burst out as she stood up with so much force that it sent her chair reeling back, slamming against the wall. "Please…Nishikino…don't ask…any further…" The greynete's voice broke as her head hung low. Her hands were curled as they gripped tightly against her table. She couldn't take it. Not when the love of her life stood in front of her, oblivious to her feelings, and was even attempting to get her to confide in her. Not when the love of her life was married and had a daughter.

"Minami…" The red haired woman eyes were wide as she sat dumbfounded in her seat. She could only stare at the other woman. The woman who'd always seemed so controlled, the woman who'd always seemed so gentle.

"I'm sorry, I was out of hand. Forgive me." Minami finally said as she calmed herself down. What was she doing, bursting out on Nishikino? It wasn't as if everything was the red head's fault. Besides, she's the chairwoman of the school and she jolly well should act like one– not like some emotional teenager. She had to be stronger, to cast away all her unwanted feelings away. To cut them off. But how could she do that when Nishikino kept appearing in front of her? When she kept dreaming of her in her sleep?

"M-Minami…" Nishikino bit her lip. She wanted to ask what was wrong, she wanted to know what was wrong. Even in high school, it wasn't often that the other woman blew up on her. The only time she could recall the grey haired woman doing that was when she'd called the grey haired woman during their university days and said that she was going to be married. Yet she couldn't say anything, couldn't ask anything except to call her by her last name for the third time.

The grey haired woman sat back down quietly. She then turned her attention back to her old friend, "So...how have you been, Nishikino?"

The red head looked like she wanted to ask something but decided against it as she answered, "I'm fine– mostly."

"How's your...husband?" Minami almost tripped over the last word but managed to steady her voice.

"He...passed away." The red haired woman said quietly.

"I-I'm sorry. I didn't...know." Minami bit her lips. She felt uneasy and guilty. Her friend's husband had passed away yet she didn't know. The grey haired wondered how the red head had gone on with her life upon her husband's death. Did she fall into a depression? Was she sad? Was she heartbroken? Was she angry? Minami didn't know, and she didn't want to know, she selfishly thought to herself. She was guilty that she wasn't here for her friend, yet although she had loved the red haired woman for so many years, the fact that her husband had passed away didn't make her happy at all. In fact, it made her feel even worse, for even thinking that perhaps, she might have a chance with her.

_I'm the worst. _The greynete laughed bitterly at herself. Her friend was suffering and all she could think about was the fact that she might have a chance with her. _Like hell that would happen. _Minami gritted her teeth.

"It's fine. It's been three years...and we don't have each other's numbers to keep in contact," Nishikino said before hesitating a little as her gaze turned towards Minami's fourth finger, and noticed that there wasn't a ring there. Noticing lavender orbs that hovered around the missing ring, Minami provided an answer to the unspoken question, "We're divorced."

Nishikino gasped before her expression turned into a gentle one and she said almost sympathetically, "I'm sorry."

"Don't be." Minami shrugged, "Both of us knew it would happen sooner or later. We..." The greynete sighed while she tried to explain to the other woman, "What we had...wasn't love." She admitted, closing her eyes. This was the first time she'd admitted it to someone else other than her husband and daughter. It felt like a weight of burden was off her shoulder, yet she knew that her marriage with her husband was a rash decision on her part, in an attempt to forget Nishikino, as well as an attempt to live with a man she thought she'd loved. Her daughter had been upset and distraught when they finally told her that they were going to file a divorce, yet she knew that Kotori understood the reason why they were having a divorce. Kotori, despite her looks, was actually rather perceptive and she knew her parents better than anybody else. The girl had accepted it like a mature adult– Minami was sure that the level of maturity her daughter displayed had shamed her as her mother, since all she had done for many years was to act like a rash child, making reckless decisions and not thinking things through before marrying her ex-husband.

Nishikino was stunned into silence. She didn't know how to take all that in. She'd thought that Minami was happy with her husband but she was wrong. For some reason, after knowing that Minami was divorced, a light of hope lit up in her heart. She tried to quash it down– it wasn't right, she reasoned. Truth to be told, back in high school, she had feelings for Minami. However, she'd tried her best to beat those feelings down. She thought she would never love anyone again, but she was wrong. She'd met her late husband in university and they were in love. For a long time, Nishikino was able to put thoughts of Minami away, tucked in a secret corner of her heart. She truly did love her husband, perhaps just as much as Minami. She didn't think it was possible– to love two people at the same time, but she did. When her late husband had passed away, she'd begun to miss Minami more. Old feelings rose within her and she wanted to find her, even though the last time they saw each other it was at Minami's wedding.

Nishikino tried to say something, _anything_, to fill this sudden silence that fell upon them, but found that she couldn't. Each time she laid her eyes on the greynete, she would remember how much she'd loved her. She'd managed to repress such feelings when she finally gathered up her courage to look for Minami in her daughter's school but after Minami told her about her marriage status, everything came crumbling down. There were a lot of things she wanted to ask, to know. Most of all, she wanted to know why Minami had never contacted her, ever since the grey haired woman's marriage. She tried to call Minami but her number didn't went through. She figured that the greynete had probably changed numbers and hadn't bothered telling her. She was hurt, angry, and most of all, disheartened. And then a miracle happened, enabling her to find Minami two weeks ago in the school auditorium. Minami had looked happy to see her and the red haired woman gave her contact number and told her to call her when she's free. Yet, she didn't call. She chalked it up to Minami being busy but deep down, she knew that Minami was never going to call her. And thus, she'd taken the first step by visiting her.

Nishikino didn't know what possessed her to say the next few words, yet it came tumbling out anyway. "Why didn't contact me for so many years?"

Minami sucked in a breath. That was the question that she had dreaded to answer. She knew that if she'd met up with Nishikino again, this question would inevitably come up. She'd managed to dodge it the previous time, but it seemed like she wouldn't able to this time.

The red haired woman observed how Minami's face had contorted into one of pain. She noticed that the chairwoman was biting her lips, something she was prone to doing ever since high school when someone asked her something she didn't want to answer. Even though they were now women over thirty and even had a child of their own, some habits never die.

"Minami." Nishikino whispered, "Why? Why didn't you call me? Or at least text me? I thought...we're still friends. When Maki was born, I was so happy...but I wasn't able to share my joy with you. Even when...my late husband died, you're the one I was looking for...searching for...I wanted to see you, I wanted you to comfort me... You...You're my best friend since high school...and even in university we were still close with each other. I don't know what happened after you got married but you even changed your number. I couldn't find you at all...I..." The red haired woman blinked back her tears as she curled her fingers into a fist to control her shaking hands.

The grey haired woman thought her heart was going to break. Knives and thorns pricked her heart at Nishikino's voice that was on the verge of breaking down. She felt as if someone had ripped her heart apart open with a knife. It hurt. Hearing how Nishikino had suffered in her absence had hurt her more than she'd like to admit.

"Why...?" Nishikino whispered again, imploring her. "Why didn't you–"

"Because I'm in love with you, you idiot!" Minami blurted out as slammed her fist on her table. "Because...I love you...that's why..." Her voice broke as tears welled up in her eyes. Her chest hurt and she felt overwhelmed with all the emotions that were running rampant inside her. She couldn't stop herself. Not when Nishikino's voice pierced through her heart like a knife, not when her feelings for Nishikino kept increasing and kept screaming to be heard.

"M-Minami..." The red haired woman's eyes went wide in astonishment. A familiar feeling she thought she'd never experience again rose within her, setting her heart ablaze and racing wildly. Before she could even utter the next few words, she felt herself being pushed back. As her back hit the wall of the chairwoman's office, soft lips crushed against hers. Before the pain on her back could even be registered, the soft sensation of Minami's lips had sent her head reeling, the pain forgotten. Wet flesh probed further into her mouth and Nishikino didn't resist, the smooth wetness of the flesh rubbing against her own tongue causing her whole body to flame up as she let herself succumb to the sizzling hotness that engulfed her entire body. It felt good, _so good._

At the feel of the warm flesh wrapping around her tongue, Nishikino couldn't help the moan that rose from the depths of her throat. She was burning, her body felt extremely hot as her mind continued to spin. She felt light headed and she couldn't stop the kiss that had gotten so deep in just a matter of seconds. Part of her mind told her that she should just pull away, that it was too sudden but the other part of her mind refused to do so. All coherent thoughts were blown away as Minami continued the kiss, pressing herself deeper and further into Nishikino's body heat. The kiss had set a fire burning inside her that only kept growing by the second– she hadn't felt this way before. Not even when her husband had kissed her. The experience was entirely mind-blowing, and she didn't want it to stop. Unfortunately, she had to push the greynete away several minutes later, her hands trembling as she tried to catch her very much needed breath.

Still gasping for breath, Minami's mind was blank. All she could think of was how soft, how hot, and how sweet Nishikino had felt and tasted. She staggered back, her mind still whirling. Several more seconds had passed when the haze inside her head had finally cleared. Her eyes immediately widened in horror as she realised what she'd just done.

Recognising the look of horror on Minami's face, Nishikino immediately tried to take a step forward as she exclaimed, "M-Minami! I...I love you too!"

The chairwoman could only look dumbly at the red head. Did she hear right? Did Nishikino just said that she loved her? Or was she imagining things?

"I-I've loved you since high school..." Nishikino confessed, a slight blush tinted her pale face.

"B-But...your late husband..." Minami couldn't comprehend the confession that her friend had made. Wasn't she in love with her late husband? Wasn't that why she married him? How could she love her then?

"Don't get me wrong," The red haired woman exhaled before running her fingers down her wavy hair, "I love my late husband too. I mean, I didn't think it was possible to love two people at the same time...but..." She trailed off with a sigh. "I...ever since high school, I've been in love with you. But I didn't dare to tell you since I thought you would surely reject me. In university, I met him...and fell in love with him. Yet, I couldn't forget you. When my late husband passed away, I...realised that I've been missing you all along. I miss the times we would spend with each other, I miss the days where we would just lie about in your bed talking about nothing and everything. I miss your presence, your voice, your smile, _everything. _I need you, Minami." Nishikino admitted softly, staring into the hopeful amber orbs in front of her.

Minami knew that her face was extremely red, and her heart was pounding erratically against her chest. She couldn't believe it. She couldn't believe that her feelings were not one sided nor unrequited. What were the chances that Nishikino actually returned her feelings? She was trembling, still unable to believe that her friend from high school actually said that she loved her. The grey haired woman had given up on finding love ever again, still unable to let go of Nishikino, yet she was given a miraculous chance, to start all over with the one she loved.

"M-Minami...?" Nishikino hesitated, since the grey haired woman was still silent and staring at her, eyes wide, mouth gaped open. The red haired woman didn't know what that meant. Was she accepted? Or rejected?

The only answer Nishikino received was another kiss on her lips. This time, the kiss was chaste and simple. The red haired woman felt a grin splitting across her face. That was all the answer that she needed form Minami. Once Minami pulled away a second later, she looked a little embarrassed as she said, "Could we...perhaps... start all over again?"

"Hell yes," Nishikino breathed out as she pulled the chairwoman in, capturing the greynete's lips with her own.

For now, she would selfishly indulge in kissing Minami, enjoy the moment as she expressed her love for the woman she loved. She would worry about other issues later.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

**Review Replies**:_  
><em>

Dash24zappshift: Sure do hope that your feet is fine! And thank you~ (once again)

GAT-X105VividPanzer: Thank you~! Hope you'll continue to like this fic~

kryuu27: I'm still alive XD and that's what counts. Yep, it's pretty fun and nice to have a change of pace every now and then though he can be a handful sometimes XD. And yes, Nico would probably be angry, well irritated I guess if she's ever locked up in a room. But I wanted to show Nico's "onee-san" side you know? Hahaha. Well, if Maki's inside the room with her inside, I can foresee an argument from a mile away. Yes! Another person who likes MakiPana! XD :D That aside, thanks for the review!

Enya Talisman: Thank you! Hahaha, the chairman seems like the type who likes to watch how fun things unfold...in my opinion anyway XD Must be tough studying/living in Singapore then? I suppose the education system there is rather strict and demanding? And sorry, that was a really tasteless pun. The pun is actually on the word "ultra rare" since it could also refer to SIF's ultra rare cards. Okay, the pun really is cold and lame ._. Don't mind me.

Jaez: Thank you~ As for the question, I'll think on it~

AShiba1nu: I knew I forgot something! I knew it! Damn. I totally forgot about the window. Yea, technically Nico and Umi can jump out of the window since it shouldn't be locked. But for the sake of the story... ... Let's just say they didn't think of it and since Umi is sick, it may be physically impossible for her to crawl out of the window. But then again, Eli could help both Nico and Umi out from outside the window... ... Damn, there's a plot hole. But thanks for telling me! :)

ihavenoidea: Thank you~

Major Mike Powell III: Thank you! Opposites do attract, just like how magnets attract- now that reminds me of a certain duet sung by a certain duo XD (if you know what I'm referring to)

* * *

><p>Note: In the anime, I'm 99% sure that Maki's dad is still alive so in order for this pairing to go smoothly, the husbands had to be out of the way. Unless they commit adultery- but I do not really want to encourage that and since I like happy endings, I made Nishikino a widow and Minami divorced.<p>

I can't say I understand how those two must've felt– the pain and the yearning since I have not experienced it myself. I tried to express what those two might have felt over the long years. Plus, they have kids to consider too, though they are in high school and are going to be adults given several more years.

I feel like I've crammed so much things into one small chapter. O_O

I like to think how Kotori would spoil Maki to no end if they were ever sisters. Kotori would probably hug Maki to death, calling her cute and adorable. She would probably make Maki wear all sorts of outfits she made, and she would use her watery eyes to plead Maki each time she refuses until Maki agrees just because she couldn't resist Kotori.

Anyway, next up: _NicoKoto!_


	25. Chapter 25

Pairing: Nico X Kotori

Rating: T

Chapter: _The metallic taste of...love? _

In which Kotori and Nico make Muse's costumes together.

* * *

><p>Humming to herself, Kotori continued her needlework, diligently embroidering a set of flower patterns on the costume she'd just finished making. She was now working on the fourth outfit that she'd designed for Muse's next live performance, and along with a certain raven haired senior, the duo were now in Kotori's room, trying to finish the outfits that they needed by the end of the week in lieu of their performance. Contrary to Kotori's calm and peaceful look, Nico was scowling as she started to make the next costume, using the taupe haired girl's sewing machine.<p>

"Tch. While we're working really hard here, I bet the rest of them are going to goof off and play elsewhere." Nico muttered under her breath. It wasn't as if she hated sewing, in fact she liked to do it. She was also one of the few members in Muse who knew how to sew and make clothes since she'd often had to sew a tear or a button back onto her younger siblings' clothes. But what was making her feel so grumpy was the fact that no one came by to either check on them or to help them. How were they supposed to finish all the outfits by the end of the week? Even with her own experience and Kotori's expertise, there was no way they were going to finish on time.

Sighing to herself, the petite third year wondered what the rest of her idol mates were actually doing as she continued to move the clothing downward, letting the machine do its job of threading the cloth together.

"They're probably working on the choreography and making minor changes to the song." A familiar high pitched voice answered her unspoken question, surprising Nico. "And I'm sure that they are really thankful and grateful even though they didn't show it." Kotori continued with a slight smile as she continued to weave the thin thread with her needle effortlessly.

"Sheesh. I know that already," The twin tailed girl returned. Of course she did. She knew her friends well enough to know that deep down, they really do appreciate the effort that both Kotori and her had put in in the costumes.

"I have no doubt that you do, Nico-chan~" The second year said cheerfully.

"Well, we better put up a great show next week since we put lots of effort into this! Especially since the super idol Nico-chan is personally making these costumes!" Nico hmp-ed as she returned to her sewing machine.

"Yep, of course!" Kotori said as she held the finally done costume up for a quick glance over, checking if there were any loose threads, or if the pattern she had sewed on looked fine. Nodding herself in satisfaction, the seamstress continued to pick up fifth outfit that Nico had finished just minutes ago and started on embroidering a different set of flower pattern on the purple piece of costume.

The hour passed in complete silence, the only sound that could be heard was the constant and rhythmic noise from the sewing machine. Different coloured pieces of cloth and various finished and unfinished costumes were strewn all over the table, and even on Kotori's bed.

It wasn't an uncommon sight to the duo, and neither was the silence they were working in uncomfortable since the two occupants in the room were used to it. In the beginning when Muse just started, it was awkward since Kotori didn't know her senior well...and well, Nico was technically older than her, though she might not look like it. However, as time passed and after spending a considerable time with her petite senior, Kotori now knew Nico better, understood her better and the silences that often engulfed the room was much more comfortable and less tensed. It felt like a place where she could completely relax and do the things she liked most– designing and making clothes.

Unbeknownst to the taupe haired girl, Nico felt almost the same way as the younger girl. Nico had thought Kotori was a girl who's often in her own little world, dazed and...a little fluffy. Granted, the taupe haired second year was sweet– her personality and smile that was– and Nico hadn't known someone, except for Kotori, who could rival her in cuteness. The taupe haired girl seldom, or rather, rarely got angry, and on several occasions, when the taupe haired junior flashed the overly sweet and pure smile of hers, Nico had breathtakingly thought Kotori looked like an angel.

But as she spent more time with the second year, she realised that Kotori was someone who was perceptive and sensitive to other people's feelings. Although she might follow Honoka's and Umi's lead, the taupe haired girl was always the one who supported them all behind the scenes. She was a strong person, contrary to popular belief, although she tended to stick to Honoka a bit too much. And Nico also realised that when Kotori was emotionally invested in someone, it could either make her stronger, or it could potentially break her– just like the time when she'd almost left Japan to study overseas. That was what scared Nico the most– when Kotori had said that she was leaving, she didn't want to accept it, and didn't want the taupe haired girl to leave, though she'd never admit it to anyone else. She'd grown attached to the alpaca loving girl, much more so than she'd like to admit.

A sudden hiss interrupted her thoughts and Nico immediately snapped her head up, only to see a slightly pained look on Kotori's face. The taupe haired girl was cringing as she gritted her teeth, holding out a finger that seemed to be bleeding.

"You're bleeding...!" At once, the raven haired girl stood up, abandoning her work and rushed over to her junior's side, worry and concern filling her features.

"Ah...I accidentally pricked myself with a needle. It hurts a little but I'm fi–"

Before Kotori could finish her sentence, she could feel something soft and wet caressing her bleeding finger and her amber eyes widened in shock.

"N-Nico-chan...!" Kotori stuttered as she felt the older girl licking and lapping the wound. "W-What are you– " The taupe haired girl was extremely flustered, her cheeks started to burn heatedly at the close proximity and at how Nico was sucking her finger.

"I'm stopping the bleeding." Nico answered as a matter of factly, "It's faster this way." She explained before returning to stop the red liquid that was oozing out slowly.

Kotori could only gaped at her senior, face still flushed. For some incomprehensible reason, her heart wouldn't stop thumping loudly against her chest. How could Nico do this as if it was the natural thing to do?! Kotori thought her heart was going to jump out and she swore that she could hear her own loud heartbeat.

She could feel a tingle at first which caused a shiver down her spine as a funny feeling started to grow inside her. She didn't want to admit it but Nico's actions actually felt good. That was what confused Kotori the most. And following that train of thought, Kotori wondered how it would feel like if Nico's lips were on hers instead. At that thought, the blush on her face brighter considerably. _No. Stop thinking about that! Get a grip on yourself, Kotori! _

Before the taupe haired girl could protest, Nico had removed her lips from the injured finger, ignoring the metallic taste of blood that remained in her taste buds. Wondering why her junior was so quiet all of the sudden, Nico looked up, only to see an extremely red faced Kotori who looked like she wanted to say something but couldn't.

_Cute_. Nico thought unconsciously. _As I thought, Kotori really is a cute girl. _

"W-Why did you do that?" Kotori finally stammered. "I'd be fine if I just wash it off or use a handkerchief to stop the bleeding..."

"Are you angry...?" Nico said quietly before sounding a little uncertain, "It was instinctive...I mean I'm used to doing that back when I pricked my fingers while sewing and fixing my younger siblings' clothes...so I guess...I acted without thinking...?"

"I-I'm not...!" Kotori blurted out. She wasn't angry with Nico, not at all! She just felt embarrassed and extremely flustered by her own feelings.

"I-I..." Kotori groaned inwardly. She couldn't even put her feelings into words, no matter how much she tried. This was hopeless!

"Kotori..."

"N-Nothing!" Kotori squeaked out. "Absolutely nothing at all!"

"...Really...?" Nico didn't seemed convinced as she narrowed her ruby eyes, staring intently at the taupe haired girl who flinched involuntarily at the stare.

The taupe haired second year nodded vigorously. "Yes! Nothing at all!"

"..." Nico decided to let it slide, seeing that her junior was clearly uncomfortable. She then wondered why the taupe haired girl looked so flushed and red. Was she sick? Or did she have a slight fever?

"L-Let's get back to work, shall we, Nico-chan?" Kotori tried to say before gulping under the ruby-eyed girl's continued gaze.

"...Alright..." The twin tailed finally relented before heading back to her seat, opposite of the taupe haired girl, and returned back to her sewing machine, not before sparing one last glance at the younger girl.

Kotori forced a smile and sighed when Nico started to work the sewing machine again.

Her heart that was previously rapidly pounding had slowed, yet the slight blush still remained as she recalled the raven haired senior's lips on her finger.

Shaking her head internally, Kotori tried to banish such thoughts away, but the more she tried to forget about it, the more vivid the sensation of having Nico's lips on her finger lingered in her mind. The scene that had occurred just now kept replaying itself in her mind, like a broken recorder. At this rate, she wouldn't be able to concentrate on her sewing.

Groaning internally, Kotori wondered if she should prick her finger again.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

Review Replies:

S3C0NDG0D: Hi there! Thank you! And I'll take the review as a compliment ;)

Enya Talisman: Thank you~ and don't worry, Kotori's snow queen card is also the only UR card I have XD (it's quite depressing, really. Since I'm already over level 100) And yea, sure! You can book a NozoKoto! :) But it'll take a while for me to open the request thingy again. Sorry about that!

Jaez: Hehehe, thank you! Ahhhh it's a pity I don't understand japanese and the drama CDs aren't usually subbed D: And hopefully, this particular NicoKoto is up to your liking. This is one of the hardest ships to write, in my opinion, and I derived this particular chapter from an episode in season 2 when Kotori, Nico and Hanayo were sewing their costumes for the halloween live (Dancing star on me!).

Msmusicful: Yesh, and they should also add more Minami/Nishikino moments in the anime *_*

Major Mike Powell III: Thank you!~

Dash24zappshift: Thanks~! LOL please don't die of happiness! There are more chapters to come!

Kumiko-chii: Hi there~ Thank you for supporting this fic~ And I've actually read the doujin you mentioned XD At first I wanted to do something similar to it, but decided against it, since the artist/author has already done it there~

* * *

><p>Nico-chan! You're so dense!<p>

Note: Updates _may_ not be as often as before since I'm starting my part-time job. Sorry! T_T   
><span>

A _**shout out**_ and a huge _**THANK YOU**_ to those who have favourited, followed and/or reviewed this fic, especially those who reviewed frequently (more like every chapter :3) ! (Yes, I know who you are, don't worry.) And not to forget closet readers out there!

Next: _KotoEli! _


End file.
